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9 


The 

Deacon’s Daughter 

F. M. McConnell 



Fifty Cents 









THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER. 


By 

F. M. McConnell. 




Stealey Book and Publishing Company, 
Oklahoma City. Okla. 


/ 




V ^ 






I 



AUG 24 1918 


©CI.A503208 

^ 0 * 


IVfl I 


CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I. A Troubled Banker and an Anxious Pastor 5 

II. The Sudden Awakening of a Church 21 

III. Honest Stewardship Produces Some Results 36 

IV. Getting Down to Fundamental Principles . . 46 

V. Jew, Gentile and Christian Obligation 65 

VI. Straight Talk Clears up Some Confusion.. 82 

VII. A Remarkably Gifted Man Surrenders 105 

VIII. Winning a Church With the Truth 113 

IX. Supremely Important Events Rapidly 

Transpire 128 

Conclusion: After One Year of Testing 139 


PREFACE 


This book is the result of a conviction 
which has been tested both by the Bible and 
experience for twenty-five years. It has been 
written on trains, in depots, restaurants, at 
home, in a mission office — wherever I could 
get a few moments and the opportunity to 
write. From a literary standpoint it is de- 
fective but it was not written to please liter- 
ary critics. 

I hope the reader will like these people, 
and especially, Lucile. This is my first story 
and I confess that it makes me sad to part 
with them. They have been earnestly study- 
ing a line of truth which is vitally important 
to the success of the Kingdom of God. But 
friends must separate and say good-bye. If 
these friends of mine will tell their convic- 
tions of the truth and their duty, to other 
individuals and groups and churches, so 
Christ will be wider known and better loved, 
I shall bid them God-speed and be satisfied. 

F. M. McConnell. 

Oklahoma City, 

June 13, 1918. 


The Deacon’s Daughter 


CHAPTER I. 

A TROUBLED BANKER AND AN ANXIOUS 
PASTOR. 

It had been a very busy day. Many per- 
plexing questions had come up in the bank 
and it seemed to the president that every cus- 
tomer wanted to see him personally, and that 
every difficulty any of the clerks encountered 
had to be solved by him. So, when the hour 
for closing came, he immediately pulled down 
the top of his desk, put on his hat and over- 
coat, stepped into his car and told the chauf- 
feur to drive him directly home. On reach- 
ing the house he got out of the car and went 
to the library. There he put on his slippers 
and stretched himself in a large Morris chair 
to get some relaxation and rest. 

He was a hard worker and had been so 
all his life. At thirteen years of age he had 
lost his father, who was accidentally shot 
while hunting. Being the oldest of four chil- 
dren, he very soon realized the responsibility 
upon him as he undertook to assist his mother 
with her business affairs. 

One thing was greatly in his favor. His 
mother was a remarkably intelligent and 
energetic woman. She had firm convictions 
and high principles. Finding herself a wid- 
ow, in a moment, she resolved to bravely do 
her duty and not only provide for her family 
but to so train and educate them as to fit 


6 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


them well for life. Her theory was that mon- 
ey will not stay with a weak, unworthy man 
and that the strong, worthy and efficient can 
make all the money they really need. She 
determined, first of all, to so raise her chil- 
dren that they would be worthy and she be- 
lieved that other things would then work for 
their advancement. 

It is not my purpose to give a history of 
the family. It may be well, however, to re- 
cord the fact that the second child, a girl, 
eleven years old when her father died, gradu- 
ated at a seminary for young women and 
soon afterwards married a young lawyer who 
became very successful in handling large cor- 
poration business. The third, a boy, was a 
student with special fondness for language. 
He became professor of modern languages 
in the state university, never accumulated 
much money, did not care to, but put his 
whole soul into his work as a teacher. The 
youngest, a boy, only six when his father 
died, had a genius for trading from his boy- 
hood. He stayed in school and studied hard, 
chiefly because he knew that, being his moth- 
er’s “baby,” it would break her heart if he 
disappointed her. But just after he gradu- 
ated he took a position with a wholesale house 
where he soon showed ver unusual gifts, 
both as a producer of business and in admin- 
istration, and advanced rapidly until he be- 
came one of the leading stockholders and di- 
rectors. When he married he took his mother 
to live with him. She spent the rest of her 
life with her “baby” and took keen delight in 
his business success. 

Getting back to the tired banker, on that 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


7 


Monday afternoon, I will tell you that his 
name was Daniel McGregor. He was now 
forty-eight years old and had prospered in 
this world’s goods. He was not a genius, nor 
remarkable for any extraordinary talents; 
except his invaribly good judgment. All the 
faculties of his mind appeared equally well 
balanced and the result was a man of great 
influence and power over others. There was 
hardly a man in the town of 15,000 popula- 
tion, who had not, at some time, asked and 
received his advice on some important mat- 
ter. His counsel was constantly sought after. 
At his bank there was always a number of 
men waiting in the room, next to his office, 
desiring to see him and have his advice on 
all sorts of business problems. One wag said 
that he had lived in Plattsville seven years 
and had spent four of them waiting, in that 
room, for opportunities to speak to Daniel 
McGregor. 

This Monday afternoon, as I said, he 
was more than usually tired. He was wor- 
ried too, about the condition of the church. 
He had joined the church just after his four- 
teenth birthday, a few months after his 
father’s death, and had lived an active Chris- 
tian life for thirty-four years; twenty-three 
of which he had been a deacon. He was at 
that time chairman of the board of deacons. 
They were to meet that evening at his house 
and he knew that business of a very serious 
nature for the church would be up for con- 
sideration. 

When he had rested awhile his wife went 
into the library to talk with him and to get 
his counsel about some of the problems with 


8 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


which she had to deal. He was a very con- 
siderate husband, and, although desiring very 
much to be alone, that he might think through 
the matters which would come before the 
deacons that evening, he gave his whole at- 
tention to his wife and the things she wished 
to talk over until the bell rang for dinner. 

Going into the dining room he found his 
daughter, Lucile, who had just returned from 
a ride with their next door neighbor and his 
wife and daughter in their new car. His son, 
Charley, had just come in from the tennis 
court where he had been playing a hotly con- 
tested game with three of his friends; his 
chum and two young ladies who lived in the 
next block. He and his partner nad won the 
game and he was much elated because his 
chum was a good player and his chum’s 
partner was the champion young woman 
player in that part of the state. 

Having disposed of her problems, by the 
aid of her husband’s advice, Mrs. McGregor 
was in good spirits and the entire family, as 
they sat at table, were talkative and happy 
except Mr. McGregor, who was much more 
thoughtful and silent than usual. His wife 
made several attempts to get him interested 
in the conversation but failed. He was deep- 
ly absorbed in something and did not talk 
more than to quietly answer the questions 
that were asked him. At length his wife 
asked what was on his mind and why he did 
not throw it off as usual. 

“It is one of your rules,” she said, “not 
to bring your business home with you. You 
have always told me that you lock it up in 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


9 


your desk at the bank. Are you going to 
change?” 

“It is not my business affairs that bothers 
me, but the condition of our church is giving 
me much concern. The deacons will meet 
here this evening and I have been trying to 
think through the matters we will have to 
consider. I must confess that I cannot see 
through our difficulties. I have looked at 
them from every angle I can think of, but it 
looks like our church business is to be in an 
interminable muddle. We have never been 
able to keep it running right very long at 
a time. I have been in business since boy- 
hood and have been associated with business 
affairs of many different sorts but church 
business is different from all other kinds and 
I am not able to get it arranged in a satis- 
factory way. The others on our board are 
business men and each one has organized 
his affairs so that he carries on his business 
smoothly without its being a burden to him. 
But all of us together have not been able to 
put our church business on a basis that would 
make its success either permanent or satis- 
factory. Why is the business side of relig- 
ion so different from other business?” 

Mrs. McGregor said, “I do not know. In 
what way is church business different?” 

“Well, in several ways. We are nearly 
always behind with the current expenses of 
the church. Even our pastor’s salary is hut 
paid promptly. There is not a clerk in our 
bank or any store in town who would not 
quit, at once, if his salary v/^ere as uncertain 
as our pastor’s salary. We have tried one 
method after another for raising funds but 


10 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


they all fail after a little while. One of our 
deacons will advocate our pastor’s resigna- 
tion, I feel sure, at our meeting this eve- 
ning. I do not know what to do.” 

“Yes,”said Charley, I can guess, the first 
time, who that deacon is. It is his old game. 
Every time things do not go right he pro- 
poses for the pastor to resign. So far as I 
am concerned I think he is a very poor ex- 
emplar of Christianity and has no business 
whatever being a deacon of a church.” 

“Son,” said his mother, “You should not 
judge uncharitably. Besides, he is much 
older than you.” 

“I know he is older than I am,” said 
Charley, “and I do not mean to be unchari- 
table ; but there is no scripture, or 
law, against being just. I hope that 
when I am his age I will be a better 
Christian than he is. A man is not 
serving Jesus Christ when he is al- 
ways watching for an opportunity to break 
up the whole church organization by creating 
a sentiment to deprive the church of its pas- 
tor. The preacher can go somewhere else 
with far less loss to him and his family than 
is sustained by the church. Just after I 
joined the church, five years ago, that man 
worked up opposition to the pastor and he 
resigned. Two years ago he got up opposi- 
tion to the pastor and he resigned. Now he 
is at his old game again. There never was 
a better man than our present pastor. The 
others were good, capable men. Our church 
suffered from disorganization each time it 
changed pastors. If Mr. Ellsworth is made 
to believe that even a few of the members 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


11 


are opposed to him he will resign and our 
church will be set back again for a year or 
two. For a man holding the office of deacon 
to treat his church that way is an outrage 
that no church ought to stand,” 

“What would you do to prevent it?” 
asked Lucile. 

“If I were a deacon, I would tell him, in 
the deacons’ meeting, that he could not be 
a disturber of the peace and injure the work 
of the church. If he persisted in his course, 
I would get up in the church and move to 
exclude him and I would so expose such out- 
rageous treatment of the church, by a man 
ever ready to drive the pastor away, that I 
would have him excluded. I know the mem- 
bership of this church and I know they will 
do right when they see the right.” 

“I believe that you are right, Charley,” 
said his father, “and it may be that we lack 
courage to do our duty. I know that each 
change of pastors has been very harmful to 
this church for the past fifteen years and I 
also know that the same deacon has been 
at the bottom of every change we have had 
in that time.” 

“That man has hurt the church enough,” 
said Charley, “and he ought to quit his ways 
or the church ought to exclude him. It would 
really do him good to learn the lesson that he 
cannot cruelly tear up the churche’s plans 
and work whenever he takes a notion.” 

There was a pause and Mrs. McGregor 
said'T believe you are right, Charley. I never 
looked at it that way, but I see that the church 
is the sufferer when a good pastor is an- 
noyed until he resigns and goes away. Th« 


12 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


church ought to protect itself against such 
an influence.” 

“Well,” said Mr. -McGregor, “I have 
made up my mind that Mr. Ellsworth shall 
not be driven from this church if I can pre- 
vent it. It would be a great loss not only to 
our church but to the whole community. We 
will have it out this evening, I suppose, for I 
am sure that the pastor’s resignation will be 
proposed.” 

Just then the door bell rang and Mr. Mc- 
Gregor went to the door. 

“Good evening, Mr. Hardy, come in. I am 
so glad you came early, because we will have 
time to talk matters over before the others 
arrive.” 

“I wanted to go over some things just 
with you,” said Deacon William Hardy, as 
he sat dowm in the large, comfortable chair to 
which Mr. McGregor directed him. “I have 
been disturbed over the condition of our 
church for some time and I don’t know what 
to do. We owe our pastor for three months 
salary past due the first of this month. We 
have fallen down on our offerings for miss- 
ions and education there are a number of bills 
unpaid, there is unrest among the member- 
ship, for it is being talked all around, and 
several have asked me the past week, how 
much longer I supposed our pastor would 
stay with us. I am distressed over condi- 
tions. I have paid all I feel that I ought to 
pay on pastor's salary and I know you have. 
Still we get behind. A few do their duty 
but the many do not. I wish that church 
business could be organized and have a re- 
liable income like other business. We will 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


13 


certainly lose our pastor unless something is 
done. He is a good man and is just now get- 
ting the confidence of the capable people of 
our town. It would greatly hurt our church 
if he should go just now. But there is a good 
deal of talk about a change of pastors. I 
hear it every day or two.” 

“Have you tried to find out who is at the 
bottom of the agitation?” 

“No, I do not know who started it. John 
Mooreland said yesterady, that Deacon Page 
told him that there is getting to be quite a 
demand for a change of pastors.” 

“I thought so,” said Mr. McGregor, in an 
absent minded way. “I doubt if the demand 
is very general. The fact is, I am sure the 
church, as a whole, is quite well pleased with 
our pastor. I know the young people are 
delighted with him. He must not leave us 
now.” 

“But he cannot live and maintain his hon- 
or the way things are going.” 

“I know that; we must do something.” 

“But what can we do? You and I and a 
few others can double our payments and 
catch up for a little while, but soon it will be 
in the same condition. Just a few of us do 
almost all the paying and we never get any 
relief. What can we do? You are a banker. 
I have been in the habit of going to you for 
financial counsel for years and am sure 
you can get us out of this somehow.” 

Mr. McGregor realized his responsibility, 
not only as a financial adviser but as chair- 
man of the Board of Deacons. He was sUent 
for a moment and then, to the surprise of his 
friend and fellow officer, said, “I cannot see 


14 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


out. Church business is not like any other 
business. It is unsetled and its methods are 
unreliable. I do not know any more about 
how to handle it than I did years ago. It 
is very discouraging to me and I often feel 
like giving up and letting someone else take 
my place.” 

They talked for half an hour longer with- 
out reaching any conclusion. Finally, they 
heard voices, and Deacons Stephen Borden, 
Jno. W. Jamison, Oliver Gates and Joseph 
Page came in. The last named was church 
treasurer as well as deacon. The pastor. Rev. 
Howard M. Ellsworth, also came and with 
him Byron M. Stanley, the church clerk. 

“This is our regular monthly meeting of 
the deacons and officers of the church,” said 
Ml’. McGregor. “You will be in order and 
our pastor will lead us in prayer.” 

The prayer was very earnest. Especially 
did it ask for wisdom and divine guidance. 
The preacher said, “Lord, we know not what 
paths our feet may try, what unseen ways 
are before us; give us wisdom, lead Thou us 
each step of the way.” He talked to God as a 
trusting child would talk to a loving father. 
Never before had he seemed more earnest 
in pleading for divine guidance. 

When the prayer was concluded and all 
were seated, the chairman arose and said : “I 
am glad to see a full meeting of the officers 
of the church this evening. Especially am I 
glad to see our pastor, whom we all love, and 
who is so faithful in the discharge of his 
duty. We are all glad to have him present 
in these meetings. He always comes and 
gives us the benefit of his counsel, but this 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


15 


evening, I think we shall have some matters 
to discuss that it would be better for him 
not to hear and I suggest that, by common 
consent, we excuse our pastor, with the dis- 
tinct understanding that he is to be with us 
next time.” 

No one spoke and it was understood 
that the pastor was expected to retire. 

“Before going,” the pastor said, “I wish 
to thank you, brethren, for your uniform 
courtesy in these meetings and then to make 
a request. I have been invited to fill a pulpit, 
next Sunday, in Aberdeen. I have asked Dr. 
Adams to supply for me. Since he is the 
president of our college, a great preacher, 
whom all of you delight to hear and honor, I 
am sure you and the church will be pleased 
to excuse me and welcome him as supply.” 

He paused for some one to reply, con- 
fidently expecting immediate, unanimous con- 
sent. But no one spoke for a full minute and 
the silence began to be embarrassing. 

Then the chairman said, “Pastor, I al- 
ways like to do whatever you wish. Also, 
I always like to hear Dr. Adams preach, but 
I wish you would not be away from your 
pulpit next Sunday. I shall not now explain 
why, but, personally, I would greatly appre- 
ciate it if you would defer your visit to Aber- 
deen until some other time, if you can, and 
be with us next Sunday. Let Dr. Adams go 
in your place. If you will, I shall be very 
glad indeed. I do not want you to be away 
from us next Sunday.” 

When the pastor made the request it was 
plain on the faces of some that they were 
willing to grant it ; but Mr. McGregor spoke 


16 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


with such earnestness and such pursuasion 
in his tone and manner that all, including the 
pastor, felt that it would not be best, or in- 
deed right, for him to be away from his 
church the next Lord’s day. 

“Very well, then,” said the pastor, “if you 
feel that way about it, I will write the church 
that, perhaps, I can visit Aberdeen at some 
future time. I bid you good night, and trust 
you may have divine guidance in all that you 
do.” 

When he was gone the chairman asked 
the clerk to state the matters that should 
receive attention. That officer said there 
was nothing except the bills which were to 
be okehed and filed. He then presented a 
large number of bills including the janitor’s 
salary for two months. He also presented the 
janitor’s resignation and stated that the jan- 
itor had gotten another job and had quit. 

The treasurer reported that there was no 
money in the treasury, and, in a jocular way, 
said that his office was not burdensome as he 
could easily take care of the money paid in. 

Deacon Borden moved to okeh the bills 
and file them with the treasurer. It was 
done. 

There was a moment’s pause and the 
chairman asked for the next item of busi- 
ness. No one had anything to suggest. Then 
without waiting, the chairman asked if any 
one present knew which church in Aberdeen 
the pastor had been invited to visit. Deacon 
Gates said he understood it was the First 
Church. 

“Do you know, if it is pastorless?” asked 
Mr. McGregor. 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


17 


“No, I do not know whether it is or not.” 

“I will see,” said Mr. McGregor, and he 
stepped to his daughter’s room and asked 
her to come in. “Lucile, you were in Aber- 
deen last week. Do you know if the First 
Church there is pastorless ?” 

“Yes, sir, it is pastorless. Why do you 
ask?” 

“Mr. Ellsworth, told us tonight that he 
had been invited to preach for a church there 
next Sunday and I wanted to know.” 

“That is the reason, then that Mr. Baker 
asked me so much about him,” said Lucile. 
“I did not think that he might be hunting a 
pastor and using me to get information. Oh, 
if he believed half I said about Mr. Ellsworth 
he will do his utmost to get him. l am sorry 
I was so unguarded and enthusiastic.” 

Then the question of providing for the 
pastor’s salary came up for discussion. It 
was three months in arrears. One deacon 
proposed one thing and another something 
else, until time to adjourn. No real prog- 
ress had been made. A motion was made 
to adjourn, but Mr. McGregor asked that it 
be withdrawn for a few moments, as he 
wished to make some remarks. His request 
was readily granted and he made a talk that 
those present will never forget. 

He said : “This has been one of the hard- 
est and yet one of the best days of my life. 
My business has taken every minute since 
going to the bank this morning. It has been 
a day of unusual burdens and many prob- 
lems have come up for solution. I have 
gone through them and disposed of them all 
in a satisfactory way. I was able to do it 


18 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


because my business is organized and I could 
approach every item and problem in its order, 
bring to bear light from reliable data and 
dispose of it with confidence. I am satis- 
fied with the day’s work and results. But all 
day long I knew that this meeting was com- 
ing and I knew, too, that we could not handle 
this business as I handled my business, from 
the simple fact that church business is not 
like any other. In fact, there is no business 
to it, the way we have been going. All of us 
together have not done anything in this 
meeting, tonight, except to talk around and 
avoid doing our duty as business men 
charged with the responsibility of financing 
a church of Jesus Christ. The deacons have 
failed in this church to do their duty ever 
since I first knew this church. I have waked 
up to the real situation and have decided 
that not only will I change but the rest of 
you must change as deacons of this church. 
It has been a day of decision with me and I 
wish to tell you, brethren, that I have conse- 
crated myself anew to God and dedicated 
what business talents I have to His service. 
I do not know the way to put bxisiness into 
religion but I am going to find out the way. 

“We all know that we are on the verge 
of losing our pastor. We are on the verge of 
losing our credit as a church. Not one of 
us would allow his credit to get in the con- 
dition our church’s credit is now in. Even 
our janitor has quit. All we did this eve- 
ning with bills was to okeh and file them. We 
did not take steps to pay them. 

“The suggestion is floating around that 
our church will soon change pastors. I think 


A TROUBLED BANKER 


19 


I know the originator of that suggestion and 
that it came from the same brain that has 
planned. the going of one pastor after anoth- 
er for years. Every time we have changed 
pastors our church work was disorganized 
and hurt for months. It would be the same 
way again. It would not hurt our pastor to 
go from us to the First Church of Aberdeen. 
It would really be a promotion for him; but 
it would seriously hurt us for at least, one 
or two years. 

“I see as I never saw before, the sin of 
making a preacher move, robbing a church 
of its pastor, by deacons neglecting to do 
their duty, lying down on their job. I see, 
as never before, the sin of the man who 
makes it his business to get pastors out and 
cripple the work of all the departments of 
a church. I have made up my mind that our 
church is not going to be treated that way, 
again, if I can help it. When any man in 
this church, hereafter, begins to talk a 
‘change.’ I intend to see that the church finds 
out his reasons, and if it is the church’s fault, 
we will correct it and if the clamor for a 
change is baseless we will stop it, or protect 
the church by excluding the agitator. 

“We have now one of the best pastors in 
this state and we are going to keep him. 
But what we do must be done at once. I 
confess I do not know just what to do, but 
I know there is a way to put more business 
into religion. If any of you have any sug- 
gestion that would be worth anything in a 
meeting of a board of directors of a bank, 
or other business concern, I am ready to give 
it most earnest consideration. Somehow 
this business must be done.” 


20 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


When he sat down several looked at 
Joseph Page, deacon and church treasurer, 
for they knew that he was guilty of schem- 
ing to change pastors. He tried to be un- 
moved, as though nothing the chairman 
said applied to him, but he could not wholly 
conceal his embarassment. 

Then deacon Hardy got up and said: 
“Brethren, I have a very business-like plan 
of my own by which I give to the church 
and all religious work. We have not the 
time to consider it now, but I have thought 
that if enough members would adopt the 
same plan we would have plenty of money to 
do all that is necessary in advancing the cause 
of Christ. I have often thought I would 
explain it to you deacons and try to get you 
to adopt it but I have been tim’d. If, however, 
you would like to know my plan and what I 
think it would do for the church, I shall be 
glad to tell it to you at our next meeting.” 

“We cannot wait a month,” said the 
chairman. “Our pastor will be gone and our 
church thrown into confusion before that 
t'me. I propose that we meet again tomor- 
row evening and consider your plan. We 
have no time to lose, if we do our duty in 
the sacred office which we voluntarily ac 
cepted from the church.” 

Then a motion was carried to adjourn 
until the following evening and that Deacon 
Hardy then explain his plan for financing 
the church. As they went away they inward- 
ly realized that a new day was about to dawn 
for the church. They did not know just how 
it would come but they felt sure it would 
come and all but one rejoiced in anticipation 
of it. 


CHAPTER II. 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING OP A CHURCH. 

The deacons meeting had produced a pro- 
found impression. Each man who heard the 
closing talk by the chairman knew that the 
effort to put business methods into the 
church’s life would be made in a patient, de- 
termined and persevering way. News of 
another deacons meeting spread and was va- 
riously interpreted. Most of those who had 
heard that the pastor was about to resign 
surmised that it was to consider his resig- 
nation. By the afternoon some people had 
telephoned to their friends that the pastor 
had handed his resignation to the deacons 
and there would be a meeting that evening 
to consider it. The farther the news went 
the more it grew in both volume and inaccu- 
racy. 

At dinner, Lucile asked her father if 
the meeting would be an executive session, 
or if others could be present. He replied 
that, it not only would not be an executive 
sess'on but that he very much wished the 
whole church might hear all that would be 
said. He especially desired that all the fam- 
ily would be present and said that he had in- 
vited Mr. Lansdown. superintendent of the 
city schools. Judge West and John Moore- 
land to come. He had told some of the 
other deacons to invite some of the leading 
members of the church. He thought that 


22 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


chairs should be taken into the parlor and 
library so both rooms could be thrown to- 
gether and used, for he was sure that they 
would be filled. 

The first to arrive was Stewart Lans- 
down v/ho was serving his first year as sup- 
erintendent of city schools. He had grad- 
uated at Harvard University with honors, 
making psychology and philosophy specials. 
He was an active worker in the church from 
his arrival in the little city and had gained 
a strong hold upon the young people. Un- 
der his leadership a wholesome religious 
impression had been made, not only in his 
church, but throughout the entire commun- 
ity. Young men and young women had 
come to feel that a religious life was desir- 
able and that church work was interesting 
and worth while. He and Lucile were 
friends and had worked together in plan- 
ning for the social life of the young people 
in the church. Charley admired him and 
said he was the most sensible school teacher 
he ever saw. 

After him deacon Hardy and Judge Gil- 
more West came. Judge West was about 
forty years old, a lawyer who kept clear of 
politics and gave himself with great energy 
to his profession. He was regarded as one 
of the best informed lawyers in the state and 
was retained in most of the important liti- 
gation in his section, both in the state and 
federal courts. Deacon Jamison brought 
Rev. Jesse Gray, the pastor of some rural 
churches, with him and deacon Borden 
brought Rev. Alexander Folsom who had 
been for many years an active preacher, 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


23 


serving village and rural churches, but who 
had about retired from the ministry and 
was living with Stephen Borden, who was. 
his son-in-law. 

In the afternoon Miss Ethel Morrison, 
a young lady friend of Lucile’s had arrived 
from Aberdeen, for a week’s visit and she 
was very much interested, as the pulpit com- 
mittee, in Aberdeen, had announced on the 
previous Sunday, that Rev. Howard M. 
Ellsworth, of Plattsville, would preach for 
them the following Lord’s day, with the pur- 
pose of becom'ng acquainted and looking 
toward a settlement as pastor of their 
church. 

Deacon Gates brought his wife and Mrs. 
Sarah Ashmore, the widow of an honored 
preacher who for many years had served 
rural churches as pastor. He had lived on 
a farm adjoining the home of deacon Gates’ 
father. Under his ministry all the mem- 
bers of Mr. Gates’ family, including him- 
self, had been received into the church. 

Others came and the two rooms were 
well filled by 8 o’clock. All the deacons 
were there. The pastor was not present as 
he had not been invited to attend and he 
deemed it best not to go unless invited. 

Promptly at 8 o’clock the chairman call- 
ed to order and said that before Mr. Har- 
dy’s statement, he wished they might do 
something about the pastor’s salary. He 
wanted everybody to feel free to make sug- 
gestions, or express opinions, as they were 
all equally interested. 

After a brief pause, deacon Borden said 
that there was only one right thing to do 


24 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


and that was to make a note, borrow the 
money and pay the pastor his salary. He 
said he was willing to sign such a note with 
the other deacons and get the money at 
once. 

Joseph Page opposed that suggestion. 
He said that the church had never author- 
ized such a thing and if the other members 
found out that the deacons had signed such 
a note they would let the deacons pay it. 
It was not a good idea to borrow money for 
church work, he said, and they had better 
not begin it. 

Mr. Borden said, “It seems that the 
church has borrowed three months salary 
from the pastor, without getting his consent 
and it is time to borrow from someone else, 
now, and pay him what we have forcibly, 
by our neglect, borrowed from him.” 

Deacon Jamison said, “I am in favor of 
borr 9 wing the money. I never thought be- 
fore of the fact that when a church fails to 
pay the pastor, it forcibly borrows the 
amount from him. Several of the men 
working for our company put part of their 
salaries into the stock and they really loan 
those amounts to the company to put into 
its capital. If all the money the churches 
of this state are forcibly borrowing from 
their pastors were put together it woula 
make at least $200,000.00. Now Mr. Mc- 
Gregor, a banker, and the rest of us business 
men do not want to borrow money, without 
interest, from our preacher and I am in favor 
of stopping it right now.” All the others 
agi’eed and the men who were not deacons 
agreed to sign the note with the deacons. 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


When that matter was settled, Lucile 
McGregor said, “I understand that you of- 
ficers of the church have, at last, determin- 
ed to put the affairs of the church on a bus- 
iness basis, to make permanent plans and 
not temporary ones; now, why do you not 
make your note large enough to cover any 
reasonable deficit that may occur and in- 
struct the treasurer to send the pastor’s 
checks regularly, the first of each month? 
You would then show our pastor that he is 
appreciated and relieve him of what I know 
is, tonight, very keen embarassment. I was 
in his home today and Mrs. Ellsworth, for 
the first time talked freely about their af- 
fairs. She said that Mr. Ellsworth had 
come to feel that his labors were not appre- 
ciated by the church, that he was very much 
discouraged, that some very tempting bus- 
iness offers had been made to him recently, 
but that he had promptly refused them, 
desiring above all things to give his life to 
doing good. She also said that he was sore- 
ly embarassed because of unpaid bills. She 
cried as she talked to me about their situa- 
tion and I was the more sorry for her be- 
cause she is a refined, educated woman and 
her girlhood home was one where there was 
never such a condition. She was heart 
broken today, and said that Mr. Ellsworth 
is getting to the point where he is ashamed 
to go among the people on account of un- 
paid bills.” 

“This will never do,” said Judge West, 
“I did not know it was as bad as this. By 
all means let us follow Miss Lucile’s sugges- 
tion. Mr. McGregor, have you a blank note 
here?” 


26 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


“Yes, I have some,” said he, and went 
to his desk and got a pad of notes. 

“I propose that we make the note and 
pay him not only for the past three months 
but for this month, and that, from now on, 
we pay him monthly in advance,” said dea- 
con Gates. “Then he can pay cash and take 
advantage of bargains.” 

The note was signed by all the men pres- 
ent. Then Mr. Borden said, “I have read 
in the Bible, ‘The wages of him that is hired 
shall not abide with thee all night until the 
morning,’ so I am in favor of sending our 
pastor a check right now.” 

“Our pastor is not a hired man,” said 
deacon Page, “that scripture does not ap- 
ply to this case. 

“I know that he is not a hired man,” 
replied Mr. Borden, “but he is certainly 
worthy of, at least, as much consider- 
ation as a hired man. The sin we have 
shown its pastor less respect, and had less 
committed against our church is that we have 
regard for his good name than God com- 
manded those Jews to show to those who 
were hired by them. I do not want him, 
or his good wife, to suffer another hour 
from our neglect.” 

“I prefer to send him the money,” said 
Mr. McGregor. “I have that much cash 
here in the house and I want to send it to 
him tonight.” 

“Let me take it to him,” said Charley. 
“He is the best pastor we boys ever had and I 
would like to help his feelings tonight.” 

“I would like to go with Charley,” said 
Mr. Lansdown. “I never saw a pastor in 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


27 


my life, give more real encouragement to 
education than he has given. He is the re- 
liable friend of every teacher in this town.” 

The money was counted and given to 
Charley McGregor, and, joined by Mr. Lans- 
down, he was just starting when John 
Mooreland said, “I am not a deacon, but 
I would like to suggest that the pastor be 
asked to come back with these fellows and 
be with us the rest of the evening.” 

Instantly there was unanimous ap- 
proval of the suggestion. 

They went to the pastor’s home and 
knocked at the door. He came and invited 
them in. Mrs. Ellsworth was in the library 
and it was evident that they had been in an 
earnest conference. Mr. Lansdown was 
sure that he saw moisture on her cheeks. 
On the table was a letter and an open Bible. 

Charley would not be seated before he 
told his errand. ‘‘Pastor, we have brought 
you four month’s salary,” said he, ‘‘for 
the three months that is in arrears and 
the full salary for this month. Here is the 
money. You may count it to see if it is cor- 
rect.” With that he handed Mr. Ellsworth 
a roll of bills. 

Amazed, the pastor took the roll and 
without counting the money, asked “What 
does this mean?” 

“It means,” replied Mr. Lansdown, “that 
the deacons of our church are waking up to 
their sin of neglecting God’s minister and 
the church, too, at whose hands they vol- 
untarily accepted their official position.” 

“Yes,” said Charley, “and if I do not miss 
my guess, it means a new day for religion 


2S 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


in this town, for there are some men on that 
board who have made up their minds to put 
more business into their religion and they 
are men who do not turn back when they set 
their heads.”Charley had the utmost respect 
for his father’s perseverance. 

The pastor sat down by the side of his 
wife and laid the money on the table. To- 
gether they counted it and said it was four 
months salary in full. There was an ex- 
pression on her face which said, in a lan- 
guage as plain as words could express it, 
“I did not want to break up my home and 
leave these people; God has answered my 
prayers.” 

When the money was counted, Charley 
said, “Pastor, the deacons and several others 
are having a little meeting at our house and 
they want you to go back with us for the 
rest of the evening. Will you go?” 

“Indeed I will,” said the pastor, “I shall 
be only too glad to express my gratitude for 
what they have done in showing their ap- 
preciation of us and our work.” As he said 
this he laid the roll of bills in the hands of 
his wife and gave her a look which showed 
that he was ready, that moment, to under- 
take with new enthusiasm, whatever tasks 
life had for him. 

When Charley and Mr. Lansdown left 
for the pastor’s home, Mr. Jamison turned 
to Mr. Borden and asked, “Is what you quot- 
ed really in the Bible? I have often heard 
laboring people talk against religion and 
the churches. It seems to me that if the 
Bible teaches immediate compensation for 
labor, they ought to know it and think well 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


29 


of that book whether we church members 
live up to its teachings or not.” 

Lucile had picked up a Bible that was 
lying on the table. Holding it open, she 
said, “It is surely here, in Lev. 19:13. “The 
wages of him that is hired shall not abide 
with thee all night until the morning.” This 
is not all, for in Deut. 24:14, 15, we have 
still stronger language: “Thou shalt not op- 
press an hired servant that is poor and needy, 
whether he be of thy brethren or of thy 
strangers that are in thy gates : 

“At his day thou shalt give him his hire, 
neither shall the sun go down upon it; for 
he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; 
lest he cry against thee unto the Lord and 
it be sin upon thee. It seems to me that the 
Bible is, everywhere, the friend of the la- 
boring man. There would be no contro- 
versy between capital and labor if both sides 
lived according to its teachings.” 

“My life has been revolutionized,” said 
William Hardy, “since I made up my mind 
to do just what the Bible says. I have found 
that it was to my own interest to obey every- 
thing commanded in it, and every promise 
I ever tested I have found true. God always 
makes His word good.” 

They talked about the teachings of the 
Bible and the wisdom of believing and obey- 
ing it until they heard voices at the door 
and Charley opened it and brought in his 
companion and the pastor. 

The entire company stood when the pas- 
tor entered. They greeted him warmly and 
every hand-grasp and expression was most 
cordial. His face beamed with delight and 
everybody was genuinely happy. 


30 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


When all were seated he tried to express 
appreciation, but Mr. McGregor interupted 
him, saying, “Pastor, there is no just reason 
for you to express any gratitude to us at 
all. We have, at last, done our duty, that is 
all. I am humiliated beyond expression 
when I think of the way we have treated 
you. Instead of your thanking us, we owe 
you sincere apologies for neglecting you as 
w’e have done. We are glad to have you with 
us, but please do not humiliate us more by 
making us compare our shameful neglect 
with your Christian patience and gratitude. 
We hope that the future, running into many 
years of service together, may prove to you 
our sincere repentance for our wrong and 
our profound appreciation of you both as a 
man and as our pastor.” 

Then he turned to Mr. Hardy and con- 
tinued, “The announced purpose of our as- 
sembling this evening was to hear you tell 
us your financial method in supporting the 
church and all the interests of the kingdom 
of God. This other important business has 
very properly delayed your message until 
now, but I assure you that all of us will hear 
with the utmost interest, what you may say, 
for it is well known throughout the church 
membership that you are the most liberal 
member, by far, that we have, considering 
your means and income. We shall be glad 
to have you tell us what we have long want- 
ed to know, namely, how you have been able 
to give so constantly and so liberally to all 
the objects that have been presented by our 
pastor and others who have represented the 
various kingdom interests.” 

Mr. Hardy stood and said, “I have no 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


31 


speech to make to you. The story is very 
simple. About twenty years ago, I was con- 
vinced, by reading the Bible, that I ought 
to take Jesus Christ into my business, as a 
partner, and share every dollar I made with 
him. I also became convinced that his share 
is one-tenth of my net income, counting out 
only the cost of production. I have obeyed 
from that hour until this, what I believe to 
be the teaching of God’s word on this sub- 
ject. It has been a joyous service. Noth- 
ing could induce me now to give it up. I 
have prospered, gradually, more and more, 
in my business; I have supported the church 
and the cause of Christ regularly; many 
have said, liberally. But this method has 
been worth more to me than it has to the 
church and all other interests to which I 
have given. 

“If I should enumerate its blessings in my 
life, I would say that it has made me keep up 
with my business and know, all the time, 
just how it was going. There have been sev- 
eral times, in the twenty years, when the 
tide turned against me. I was able, at once 
to economize and readjust, by knowing my 
condition. Others in the same business, 
with the same things confronting them, fail- 
ed. I can count, at least, a dozen failures 
which I am sure would have been prevent- 
ed had the men managed their business as 
religiously as I managed mine. I deserve 
no credit for it, because I simply obeyed 
what God’s book said to me. 

“It has given me a sense of the presence 
of Christ with me that I never could have 
had otherwise. He is my partner, he en- 
ters into all my plans, he has a part of all 


32 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


we together make, and he has become a 
reality, every moment to me. I have read 
a number of books on consecration and 
heard many sermons on that subject, but 
taking Christ as my partner has been worth 
more to me spiritually, fifty-fold, than all 
of them together. I am not a fanatic, but 
I live with Christ, each day, just as I live 
with the others who are engaged with me in 
business. I do not boast of any goodness; 
on the contrary, I have learned humility by 
this sense of Christ as my partner. 

“I do not give the tenth as if it were 
mine, but I invest for him his part of our 
income. Hence, it is always done cheer- 
fully, for why should I hold on to his money? 
It is a joy to feel that I am making good in- 
vestments for him, when I see the cause 
prospering. I save up his part so that when 
I see some specially important thing to be 
done, I can finance it for him. If all the 
members of this church would give the 
tenth, regularly, there would be no trouble 
about funds for our work. This is all the 
speech I have. It is more of an experience 
with me than a theory to be exploited or de- 
fended. I have tried it and like it. I be- 
lieve God’s word teaches it.” 

When he was seated. Dr. Edgar M. Ad- 
ams, the president of their denominat’onal 
college, in the state, said, “I wish to add my 
testimony to that of Mr. Hardy. I have 
practiced tithing for fifteen years and it has 
been very satisfactory to me. I first be- 
came impressed with it when I took a spec- 
ial course in comparative religions, I found 
that all over the world, reaching back into 
the most ancient times, people gave tithes 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


33 


to support the worship of their gods. I 
read the Bible on the subject, examining 
carefully both the Old Testament and the 
New and became fully convinced that God 
requires a tenth of our income for the sup- 
port of His cause and the spread of His 
truth among men.” 

Bryon Stanley, the clerk of the church, 
said he had always given “as the Spirit 
moved him” and had never kept any ac- 
count of it.” 

Deacon Jamison said he had never kept 
any account of his gifts but that a neighbor 
of his, a member of another church, had 
been giving a tenth for years, and liked it 
very much. 

Joseph Page said it looked to him like 
Judias'm. He did not believe in Christians 
going back to the old Jewish customs. 

Mrs. Ashmore asked if they would let 
her say a few words. Being assured that 
they would all be glad to hear her, she said, 
“Nearly all of you knew my husband and 
his work. Some of you know what sacri- 
fices we made so he could preach all over 
this part of the state. My children and I 
toiled to get along somehow, while Mr. Ash- 
more went far and near serving churches 
and holding meetings. After he had about 
worn himself out, I came to the conclusion 
from reading the Bible, that it teaches the 
support of the ministry by the churches and 
that the only plan for such support, taught 
in the Bible, is that everybody ought to give 
the tenth.” 

John Mooreland said, “Mrs Ashmore, 
when your husband did his work in this 


34 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


country preaching was free ; preachers were 
not paid then.” 

“Don’t you believe. Mr. Mooreland, that 
preaching was ever free, either in this coun- 
try or anywhere else. Somebody always 
supported the minister, if he was honest and 
paid his bills. There is nothing free. There 
are no free schools in the sense that they are 
not paid for. Somebody pays every teach- 
er, every janitor and for every piece of 
crayon used. No, no, there never was any 
preaching that was not supported by some- 
body. Either the church members support 
their pastor, or his family supports the 
church’s pastor. My children and I sup- 
ported the pastor of a number of churches 
all over this country, while the members 
spent their money on themselves or saved it 
up. I have gone to the bottom of this sub- 
ject of ministerial support. Many times I 
have been in the field, helping my children 
support the pastor of a church and seen 
members drive by, at the very hour he was 
standing in the pulpit. It was not right, 
or scriptural. We should have done our 
part and the others should have done theirs. 
Our hardships embittered our boys against 
the churches; but, thank God, all of them 
have, at last seen that they should serve God 
rather than men and worship Him regard- 
less of the mistakes of men.” 

Her words made a profound impres- 
sion. There was silence for awhile and then 
Mr. McGregor said: 

“I have only yesterday consecrated my- 
self as a business man to God’s cause. I 
know that this church has been all wrong in 


THE SUDDEN AWAKENING 


35 


its plans, or rather, its lack of any plan. I 
am investigating the matter. We haven’t 
time to go further into it this evening. To- 
morrow evening is our mid-week prayer 
meeting and I wish to propose that we ask 
our pastor to speak to us, tomorrow even- 
ing, on the teaching of God’s word on the 
subject of church finances.” 

All agreed with the suggestion and 
then the meeting adjourned. 

Dr. Adams led in prayer and he very 
earnestly asked God to give all who should 
be present the following evening a clear 
knowledge of the truth, and, above all, cour- 
age and grace to do their duty. 


CHAPTER III. 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP PRODUCES SOME 
RESULTS. 

News of the two meetings of the dea- 
cons had spread throughout the church, 
a difference of opinion in the Board and 
that the pastor would try to reconcile the 
two factions at the prayer meeting. Others 
heard that Deacon Hardy had advocated a 
heretical doctrine in the deacons’ meeting, 
that Dr. Adams had agreed with him, that 
the pastor had not expressed his views, but 
yould do so in a prepared address at prayer 
meeting. Others heard that the First 
Church at Aberdeen had offered Mr. Ells- 
worta a much larger salary to become its 
pastor and that he would announce his de- 
cision at the prayer meeting that evening. 
Others heard that some of the deacons had 
proposed a new financial plan for the church, 
one which would enlist the greatest possible 
number of members and provide for the ex- 
penses of the church, so all obligations would 
be promptly met and that the deacons had 
requested the pastor to discuss the new plan 
at the church that evening. No matter 
which story was told it created interest. 

The evening was clear and just cool 
enough to be delightfully pleasant; such an 
evening as makes staying indoors seem al- 
most a crime. Half an hour before time for 
prayer meeting to begin, people could be 
seen going toward the church. Many who 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP 


37 


had not been known to go to prayer meeting 
for a year were on their way. The pastor 
saw the first arrivals from the window of 
his study and went to the church, at once, 
to greet the people as they came. There 
was a warmth and genuineness in his cordi- 
ality that was unusual, especially of late, 
and it charmed everybody who came. When 
they entered the church and sat down there 
was an atmosphere few expected to find. 
Those who had been afraid they would lose 
their pastor were completely reassured 
when they met him, looked into his face 
and received his greeting. He was never 
so much that peoples’ pastor and everyone 
knew it. Those who had heard of factional 
differences, or doctrinal differences, read 
assurance in his face and knew that he had 
no fears whatever of any discord that even- 
ing. The result was that an optimistic, con- 
fident spirit pervaded the entire audience. 
The hymns were sung with earnestness and 
the prayers were expressive of gratitude and 
consecration, to a degree in marked con- 
trast with those of the previous Wednesday 
evening, when there were only about a third 
as many present. 

When they had sung several hymns and 
had several prayers the pastor arose and 
said: 

“The subject we are to study is financ- 
ing religious work. It was brought up in 
the deacons’ meeting yesterday evening and 
discussed, to some extent, but not having 
time for a full consideration of it, there was 
a unanimous request that I speak at some 
length, this evening, especially on the teach- 


38 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


ing of the Scriptures bearing upon this mat- 
ter. 

“Before reading any passages from the 
Bible, I wish to make a confession and an 
apology to the members of this church. My 
confession is that I have been sinfully self- 
conscious and proud with reference to 
church finances. I have been afraid that if 
I talked about it some would say I was 
trying to take care of myself, to get the 
people’s money. I failed to remember that 
no preacher is his own, or is serving him- 
self. He should keep in mind constantly 
that he is serving Jesus Christ and that what- 
ever is promotive of the cause of Christ, 
he ought to do, regardless o^ his interests, 
feelings, or pride. Today a new battle of 
consecration has been fought out, with my 
Bible open before me at the passage, ‘For 
ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify 
God in your body and in your spirit which 
are his.’ 1 Cor. 6:20. I have been too proud 
to preach the whole truth concerning stew- 
ardship. My apology is that I have failed as 
a pastor to teach you as I should have done. 
I have injured this church and each one of 
you. The credit of this church is not re- 
deemed even yet in this town. The deacons 
are not to blame. I am really the guilty 
party and I feel it to the depths of my heart. 
Had I not been too proud and self-conscious 
to teach the truth, all our financial embar- 
rassments would have been avoided. Sin- 
cerely, do I make this apology and promise 
that as your pastor, henceforth, I shall teach 
the Bible, as I find it, and not leave out a 
part through my own pride or fear of crit- 
icism. 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP 


39 


“When the deacons asked me to discuss 
this subject, I was conscious of a lack of 
preparation. So, until a late hour last night, 
and all day today, I have been reading the 
Bible and other books on this subject. The 
result has been a revelation to me. 

“The Bible contains more about money 
and property, as they relate to religious 
stewardship, than it contains about the ordi- 
nances, church organization, church disci- 
pline and church government. It says more 
about stewardship than it does about the 
doctrines of the trinity and the diety of 
Christ. It says more about stewardship 
than it does about both heaven and 
hell and the entire future life. This sub- 
ject has more room in the Bible than any 
doctrine in our Articles of Faith. It un- 
doubtedly ought to have more room than it 
has' in our preaching. More personal bene- 
fits are promised in the Bible for the faithful 
performance of the duty of stewardship than 
for any other religious duty discussed in 
the Word of God. I have been greatly sur- 
prised today as I have read the Bible and 
realized the effort God has made to teach 
mankind the right use of money and prop- 
erty in view of the prevalence of sin, dis- 
ease, poverty and suffering. Oh, how we 
have failed! We preachers have failed; all 
of us have failed. 

“I have today seen, for the first time in 
my life, the real program of Jesus Christ for 
his people. He proposed nothing less than 
the evangelization of each individual of all 
the generations until he comes again. He 
also proposed the Christian education of all 


40 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


the peoples of the world until his second 
advent. Still more he proposed that his peo- 
ple should care for the sick, the needy and 
the unfortunate until the end of the ages. 

“This wonderful program must have 
from each generation hundreds of thousands 
of men and women giving themselves wholly 
to this work or it will never be accomplished. 
It must have hundreds of millions of dollars. 
If Christian people work short of such vast 
numbers and outlay they will never obey, 
fully, the Great Commission. No religious 
denomination has ever obeyed that Commis- 
sion. They have gone into parts of the 
world and preached the gospel to some of the 
creatures, whereas, Christ said: Go into all 
the world and preach the gospel to every 
creature. It will never be obeyed while peo- 
ple withhold themselves or their money from 
God and live for self and pleasure. I am 
not fanatical, but I have waked up to the 
truth. The Savior was not trifling with the 
church, or this sin-ruined world, when at the 
close of his earthly life, he gave the Great 
Commission. 

“Man’s duty as a steward must not be 
interpreted to meet the few needs of a local 
congregation, but to meet the world’s need 
of all that Christianity can bring to it. The 
Bible teaches that all of God’s children are 
partners in this greatest of all tasks. Hence, 
every one should give, not just a few people 
in a church. 

“The Bible teaches that giving should 
be unanimous, ‘every one of you’; it should 
be regular, and it should be proportionate 
to the income received, ‘as the Lord hath 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP 


41 


prospered him.’ The proportion of one’s 
income that is required in God’s word is the 
tenth. No Bible student ever came to the 
conclusion that the scriptural proportion was 
the twelfth, or the twentieth, or any other 
part except the tenth, when it speaks of 
proportionate giving. There is not such 
agreement on any other question. What 
difference of opinion there is among Bible 
scholars is not on the proportion required 
but on proportionate giving itself. The 
question to settle, therefore is, shall people 
give regularly and proportionately or spas- 
modically and according to the impulse of 
the moment? Whenever it is settled in a 
man’s mind that he should support God’s 
cause regularly, that he should put the prin- 
ciples of business into his religious life, that 
he should give some definite part of his in- 
come and he goes to the Bible to find out 
what that part should be, he finds that it is 
the tenth. Among the Bible students of all 
denominations, in every country, in all the 
centuries since Christ, there has never been 
one dissenting voice on the proportion 
taught. So the question is not the tenth but 
proportionate giving; it is whether we shall 
go about our religious work in a business- 
like way or whether we shall always work 
at hap-hazard. 

“To work at hap-hazard, in my opinion, 
dooms Christianity to perpetual failure. It 
is absolutely impossible ever to give the gos- 
pel to each individual in the whole world 
and maintain religious institutions in the 
whole world on the hap-hazard plan. That 
plan would wreck any man’s business and 


42 


THB DEACON'S DAUGHTER 


every business man here knows it. It can- 
not succeed in religion, even in the small 
work of one church, much less in the pro- 
gram of Christ which is the largest enter- 
prise ever presented to the mind of man. 

“I have not the time this evening to 
give all the scriptures and arguments. In 
making preparation to speak to you it soon 
became evident that the subject is too large 
for me to go into an exhaustive discussion of 
it. I, therefore, chose to present it as I have 
done; to give the teaching of the Bible, as I 
have found it, rather than to give the pass- 
ages. 

“It is a subject of vital importance to 
all the work and results of Christianity in 
the world. We should view it in its largest 
widest import. As I have studied it today, 
the whole lost, suffering world came like a 
great panorama before my mind. I then 
saw thousands of churches, with no financial 
system, no business methods in their wolk; 
I saw millions of Christian people, a few 
of whom, comparatively, were giving at all 
and nearly all of them by hap-hazard. I saw 
the Savior reaching out his hands toward 
the blinded, ruined, warring, sinning world 
and calling to his people, saying, ‘I did not 
ask you to do an impossible thing; I did not 
give you an impossible task ; you can do this 
for me and the Father, if you will only con- 
secrate yourselves and the means the Father 
enables you to get. Go ye, my children, into 
all the world and give the gospel, with all 
its benefits, to every creature.’ That pan- 
orama and the pleading Savior overwhelmed 
me and made me, I trust, a different man. 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP 


43 


There, on my knees before God, I told Him 
that, from that hour, I would do whatever I 
could to obey my Master and teach the peo- 
ple to so give as to make full obedience to 
the Great Commission possible.” 

When he had finished speaking, Alex- 
ander Folsom arose and with great emotion 
said: “My friends, I wish to say a few 
words, if my strength will permit. I have 
spent my life except just a few remaining 
days. I have made a great mistake in my 
ministry. It is too late to correct. I was 
too proud to teach the truth on this ques- 
tion, fearing criticism, and that people would 
say I was preaching for myself. Under my 
ministry there were many conversions. I 
thank God for that, but I let the churches 
go to waste by not teaching them God’s 
word concerning their duty to give propor- 
tionately of their means to spread the gos- 
pel. As a result I never have built up a 
strong church in my whole life, or led one 
to the point where its financial matters were 
not a continual embarrassment. I wanted 
to say this and say how deeply I regret 
my awful, yes, sinful, mistake. If I had my 
life to live again, I would not withhold from 
the people what God’s word teaches on this 
subject as I have done. I feel that I have 
ruined the churches by not enlisting them, as 
I should, in the great, far-reaching work of 
the Master. It was my fault for the people 
would have followed the teaching had I 
shown it to them in God’s word.” 

When he sat down, Mr. McGregor arose 
and said : “These words have given me more 
light on the subject of church finances than 


44 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


I ever had before. I see the matter in a 
better way. Our pastor has given us the 
fundamental reason for stewardship, name- 
ly, a world-wide, imperative necessity for 
the gospel. We are all moved to the depths 
of our hearts by the regretful words of our 
aged Brother Folsom, whom we love tenderly. 
Our church must put business methods into 
its financial affairs. We cannot go on as 
we have been going. 

“But, I confess that, while I have been 
greatly interested and deeply stirred by what 
I have heard this evening, I am not satisfied. 
I want to go to the depths of this matter. 
We have two large rooms, at my house, the 
parlor and library and I wish that those of 
you who desire to study the teachings of the 
Bible on this subject would come tomorrow 
evening and let us see just what the Bible 
says.” 

It was agreed that they would aecept 
the invitation for further study. 

Just as the pastor was about to an- 
nounce a hymn, a young lawyer, David Gray, 
arose and said: “I feel that I cannot longer 
defer giving myself to the service of Jesus 
Christ. When I was in college I roomed with 
Charley McGregor. He frequently read me 
passages from letters he received from his 
mother and his sister. They were so gen- 
uinely religious and urged him in such a 
sane way to live a religious life, in college, 
that I was deeply impressed. One day, in 
my room, I surrendered to the Savior, but I 
have never offered myself for church mem- 
bership. I had no mother, or sister, when 
we were in school and I want tonight to pay 


HONEST STEWARDSHIP 


45 


my debt of gratitude to Charley’s mother 
and his sister and to unite with this churchj 
if you will receive me. It is evidently our 
duty to serve God, with His people, and I 
cannot conscientiously put this duty off any 
longer.” 

He was immediately received into the 
church and the members gathered about him 
extending their sincerest fellowship and ex- 
pressing the hope that he might be greatly 
influential for the cause of Christ. 

A closing hymn “Higher Ground” was 
sung and it seemed to lift them up nearer 
to God than ever before. All felt that a new 
day had come and they rejoiced in its com- 
ing. 

The pastor prayed earnestly for God to 
help them all to do their duty and for all the 
world, that God’s kingdom might come and 
His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 


CHAPTER IV. 


GETTING DOWN TO FUNDAMENTAL 
PRINCIPLES. 

There was a minister at the prayer 
meeting who listened attentively and occa- 
sionally made notes while Mr. Ellsworth was 
speaking. His name was Harold W. Emer- 
son. He was about forty years of age, intel- 
ligent and well educated. He had served a 
number of churches, as pastor, moving from 
one church to another about every two years. 
His ability as a preacher was much above 
the average. Many of his friends wondered 
why he moved so often and why with such 
gifts and training his churches nevew pros- 
pered. He was inclined to be critical but 
not to such an extent as was very o^^iect’ on- 
able. It was observed, however, that the 
habit was growing as he grew older. But he 
had many friends who held him in high 
esteem and regretted that he did not succeed 
better as a pastor. At the time of the events 
here recorded he was serving two village 
churches, one of them twenty and the other 
twenty-five miles from Plattsville. He was 
living in town to keep two of his children 
in high school. He was opposed to tithing 
and made up his mind to attend future meet- 
ings in which the subject would be discussed. 
He was not, at all, averse to taking issue 
with the pastor and did so sometimes in the 
prayer meetings, although always manifest- 
ing a good spirit. He would have expressed 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


47 


his views on tithing in the church that even- 
ing, but the spirit of the meeting was not 
favorable to an argument, or, indeed, to the 
expression of an opposing opinion. When 
David Gray joined the church he went and 
congratulated him warmly on doing his 
Christian duty and rejoiced with the rest 
over the spirit of consecration that was man- 
ifest in the meeting. 

On Thursday afternoon, Dr. Horace 
Everett, General Secretary of Missions, ar- 
rived in Plattsville, intending to see Mr. Mc- 
Gregor and a few other laymen to lay before 
them the great need of the Mission Board 
at that time. He went to the bank, and, to 
his surprise, found Mr. McGregor at leisure. 
The banker received him more cordially than 
ever before, invited him into his private 
office and very pleasantly said: “What can 
I do for you?” 

The Secretary had not anticipated such 
a reception. The speech he had prepared 
was entirely out of place, so he came, at 
once, to the matter and said : “Our Board is 
facing a crisis. Only six weeks remain of 
this fiscal year and we are many thousands 
of dollars short of what we must have or 
close the year with an embarrassing debt. 
You have always helped us and I thought I 
would come to see you about helping again.” 

“I am glad you have come,” said Mr. 
McGregor, “because I want to know more 
about mission work. Tell me, frankly, are 
conditions as bad in heathen lands as they 
are represented by returned missionaries?” 

“They are worse, Mr. McGregor, there 
are many influences for evil, many results of 


48 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


ignorance, superstition and false religions 
the missionaries cannot put in their reports 
or express adequately in words. Conditions 
are bad, in some places terrible, in every 
place degrading.” 

“Does the gospel really improve them? 
Can you see any marked change for the 
better? Or, as we business men would say, 
does the investment pay?” 

“It does indeed pay. I have visited the 
fields twice, in which our Board is support- 
ing missionaries. The Board sent me just 
after I was elected Secretary so that I might 
know conditions first hand. Year before 
last, I went again. I noticed remarkable 
changes everywhere. I could hardly realize 
that so much had been done in the short 
space of ten years. Of course, some mis- 
sionaries do not succeed as well as others. 
We need the best, most capable men and 
women for the work there just as we do 
here.” 

“How may I estimate the needs from 
the accounts and reports sent out?” 

“You may rely absolutely on the reports 
of our Board. They are conservative state- 
ments well within the facts. The letters and 
reports from the missionaries may seem ex- 
aggerated at times but the actual condi- 
tions cannot be much overdrawn. This 
world is full of misery and ruin more awful 
than human language can describe. Its only 
hope is the gospel of the Son of God.” 

“I have been giving you $100.00 a year. 
How would it affect your prospects if I gave 
$1,000.00 this year?” 

“If you should give $1,000.00 I believe 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


4 » 


the other members of this church would give 
that much. I believe that $2,000.00 from 
this church, would greatly stimulate others 
and that we could get a wave of interest 
started which would put us out of debt.” 

“Well, I have made up my mind to give 
a tenth of my income to the cause of Christ 
and I propose to begin with last year. I 
have today placed to my “Tithe” account a 
tenth of my last year’s income. The first 
investment from that fund shall be $1,000.00 
for missions. I will give you the check in 
the morning. I want you to be our guest 
tonight. We are to have a meeting at my 
house this evening to study stewardship. It 
is fortunate that you have come for you can 
doubtless help us out.” 

Dr. Everett was overjoyed. He thanked 
the banker earnestly and then said : “So, my 
dear sir, you are to be my partner in this 
wonderful work. You will give a tenth and 
I can lean on you. You do not realize what 
a weight you have lifted off of my heart. 
There is one man in this church who has al- 
ways helped. He is Mr. Hardy. He has 
given a tenth for years. I have called on him 
many times and he has never failed. You 
see I do not feel toward those who give pro- 
portionately as I do toward others. When 
I ask others, I feel that they consider me 
asking them to give up some amount of their 
money for missions, but I know that pro- 
portionate givers consider it an investment 
and they will see how much they have for 
this work and cheerfully transfer it where 
they want it to go. I am never concerned 
about a proportionate giver. If he has it for 


50 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


missions, I know I will get it for the work. 
If he has none on hand at that time, I know 
it will come in later. I feel a sense of part- 
nership with every man who gives propor- 
tionately. I am really his agent carrying 
out his wishes in the investment of the 
money God enables him to make.” 

Charley knocked on the door and was 
admitted. He shook hands with Dr. Everett 
and then told his father that the bank had 
closed and he was ready to go home. I 
should say that on the day befoi’e, the direc- 
tors had held their annual meeting and had 
promoted Charley to the place of paying 
teller with a good increase in salary. He 
was rising steadily and gaining friends 
among the capable business men of the town. 
The car was waiting for them and they were 
soon in the library of the McGregor home. 

In a few minutes Mrs. McGregor came 
in and greeted Dr. Everett whom she had 
known ever since he was in college. She 
explained that Lucile and Miss Morrison had 
gone for a drive with Mr. Lansdown and 
David Gray, adding that they would be back 
for an early dinner and be ready for the 
meeting that evening. She had sent for two 
dozen folding chairs as she was sure from 
the number of phone calls that they would 
be needed. 

Dr. Everett was soon taken to his room 
for a little quiet and rest. At length the 
young people returned. They had had a great 
time and Miss Morrison said she was per- 
fectly charmed with the country around 
Plattsville. The roads were delightful and 
Mr. Lansdown was such a good driver, ex- 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


51 


cept that he drove too fast. She remarked 
that he seemed to put energy into everything 
about the car, but she said that Mr. Gray 
told her not to be a bit afraid of Lansdown 
for there was no danger when he was at the 
steering wheel. She was enjoying her visit 
“wonderfully well.” 

Dr. Everett called the pastor and just 
after dinner he came for a short visit before 
the others began to arrive. They went, at 
once, into missionary matters. The Secre- 
tary was gratified to find the pastor inter- 
ested, as never before, in all the work being 
done, in the financial condition of the Board 
and the prospect of closing the year out of 
debt. 

They talked and planned until William 
Hardy knocked at the door. He came in and 
warmly greeted Dr. Everett. When he was 
seated he said: “Doctor, I have been think- 
ing of writing you, but have waited to see 
how some matters would turn out. I have 
been sending you $100.00 a year for mis- 
sions, but I have been hoping I could send 
$500.00 this year. I closed a matter up today 
and got the money on it. I am happy to be 
able to give the $500.00 to missions.” 

“This is great,” said the Secretary, “I 
begin to see more light ahead for the work. 
I may say to you both, quietly, that Mr. Mc- 
Gregor will give $1,000.00. He began tith- 
ing today and put into his Tithe Account a 
tenth of last year’s profits. I believe the rest 
of the church will give $1,000.00 which 
would make $2,500.00 from this church. 
With such an advance over last year used as 


52 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


a stimulus, I believe we can end the year 
with all obligations paid.” 

“Let us sincerely hope so,” said the pas- 
tor. 

Others began to arrive and soon both 
rooms were comfortably filled. Mr. Mc- 
Gregor said that as the character of the 
meetings had changed and were no longer 
official, he would not preside but asked the 
pastor to be in charge. 

Mr. Ellsworth spoke of their great joy 
in having Dr. Everett present and asked 
him to lead in prayer. He prayed God to 
help them understand what the Bible teaches 
on the question of stewardship and to know 
that it is always best to do exactly what 
God requires. He prayed for faith to take 
God at His word, to trust the promises im- 
plicitly and step out into the path of duty 
with confidence. He prayed for the reign of 
righteousness and truth in all the earth, that 
wars and all that works ruin to man might 
cease and that peace and justice might pre- 
vail. His prayer expressed the deep desire 
of their hearts and really led them in their 
petitions. 

Then the pastor said: “The purpose of 
this meeting is to study the matter of stew- 
ardship or our duty to use what God has put 
into our hands for His glory. It seems to 
me that this subject should be considered 
from three standpoints : 1. The world’s need. 
2. The commitment of property into people’s 
hands by our heavenly Father. 3. The re- 
sults of faithful and of unfaithful steward- 
ship of the property thus committed. 

“From the entrance of sin into the 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


53 


world two things became necessary; first, 
that the individudl might be redeemed from 
his sins, and, second, that all those held in 
the power of sin, or suffering any of its con- 
sequences, might have God’s message con- 
cerning deliverance. This shows that the 
need, from the first, was that each person in 
all the world should trust in the sacrifice 
God’s only begotten Son would make, on the 
cross, for sin and that every individual of 
each succeeding generation should not only 
have a knowledge of that sacrifice, but also 
of the will of God concerning human con- 
duct. The multiplication of men on the 
earth increased the necessity of spreading 
the truth so that each person might know it, 
be saved from sin and live in harmony with 
God’s law. In order that men might have 
time for this religious work God set apart 
one day in seven to be given to this matter 
exclusively. In order that they might be 
properly taught. He designated certain men 
to be teachers, to give their entire lives to 
religious work. The task at first was easy 
but it grew as each succeeding generation 
became more numerous. When the world 
was full of people needing salvation and a 
knowledge of God, it needed, also, to be full 
of teachers of these infinitely important 
things. God never meant that any individ- 
ual of any generation should live and die 
without a knowledge of salvation and the 
principles of righteousness. The fault has 
always been with the people. From one 
cause or another only a fraction of mankind 
has known God. The chief cause of this neg- 
lect of the lost and sinning has always been 


54 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


the lack of a sufficient number of conse- 
crated religious teachers. The flood, wars 
and all distress that has come to mankind 
through the overwhelming power and infl- 
ence of sin would have been prevented had 
there been a sufficient number of religious 
teachers and leaders to hold the people to 
lives of regard for God and righteousness. 
The two sins of this world which have 
wrought more harm than all else combined 
are lack of intelligent consecration on the 
part of religious teachers and lack of sup- 
port for enough of them to supply all the 
members of each generation. It will always 
be so for human nature is the same the 
world over. 

“Now, winning this world to God, saving 
it from all the terrible results of sin, making 
it like heaven, is not so complex a problem 
as we might think. It requires the observ- 
ance of what I call the religious trinity; In- 
telligently consecrated teachers to keep the 
people informed about the will of God, 
world-wide observance of the Sabbath, on 
which day the people would learn and medi- 
tate upon the will of God, and financial sup- 
port for those who give themselves wholly to 
religious work. Unless this trinity is made 
effective all over the world in every genera- 
tion, crime, war, distress and all else which 
make this world like hell instead of heaven 
W’ll curse mankind. We have met to con- 
sider one part of this religious trinity, the 
support of religious teachers. If any of you 
have anything to present or any question to 
ask, we shall be glad to hear you.” 

“I have given years of study to this ques- 


FUNDAMENTAL. PRINCIPLES 


55 


tion,” said Dr. Adams, “but I never until 
now got the great thought the pastor has 
given us — the religious trinity; intelligently 
consecrated teachers, the Sabbath, and finan- 
cial support. How I wish these words were 
printed in golden letters and hung up in 
every home in the world. On these three 
things the evangelization, welfare and hap- 
piness of this world depend. When, in your 
opinion, Mr. Ellsworth, did God reveal these 
three things to mankind?” 

“At the beginning, when sin entered 
into the world. We know that He gave the 
Sabbath at that time. We know that Abel 
was a consecrated man who well understood 
the meaning of sin and the sacrifice that 
would be made to provide pardon for it. We 
know from the remotest history that all 
the nations had a knowledge of tithing and 
recognized the obligation to practice it. So, 
we may reasonably conclude that God re- 
vealed His plan for supporting religious 
teachers at the time He gave the Sabbath, 
the day on which the people were to be 
taught. In fact, any other conclusion is most 
unreasonable.” 

“I see the force of the facts you state,” 
said Lucile, “and the weight of your argu- 
ment ; but the thing I want to know is what 
the Bible says. I have been taught that the 
Bible is the Word of God. I believe it, and it 
is, to me, the only authority on religious 
belief and duty. What does the Bible say? 
If we can find that out our duty will be per- 
fectly clear and it will then be a question of 
obedience or disobedience with each one of 


es 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


“This is the one thing to find out,” said 
John Mooreland. “I have given along, as I 
thought I could, but if the Bible states my 
duty I want to know it.” 

“I wish,” said the pastor, “to add one 
remark to what I said awhile ago concerning 
the beginning of tithing. The fact that the 
history of the remotest times we know any- 
thing about, shows that people in those times 
knew about and practiced tithing cannot be 
disputed. Dr. Adams whom we are glad to 
say is a member of our church, has a wide 
reputation as a historian. He has told us 
that this fact first attracted his attention to 
this subject. But we have still stronger 
proof, the proof for which Miss Lucile so 
properly calls, the Word of God. Now, the 
word Genesis means, beginning. In the book 
of Genesis is recorded the beginning of al- 
most everything in human history. It gives 
the beginning of tithing. Twice, in Genesis, 
on occasions disconnected entirely, we have 
a record on this subejct. 

“In Gen. 14 we are told that Abraham, 
the father of the faithful, gave a tenth to 
Melchisedec, a priest who was a type of 
Christ. In Gen. 28:22 we find that Jacob, 
on an occasion never to be forgotten, set up 
the stone on which his head had rested while 
he slept and received the vision from God, 
called it God’s house, i. e., a symbol of the 
place where people assemble, receive religious 
instruction and worship God and then prom- 
ised God to give a tenth of his income as 
long as he lived.” 

“But,” said Mr. Emerson, “Abraham and 
Jacob were Jews. Of course, it was right 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


67 


for them as Jews to pay tithes but we are 
not Jews, we are gentiles.” 

“I do not wish to be unkind,” said Dr. 
Everett, ‘but I fear that your views on 
church finances have been your chief hind- 
rance, Brother Emerson, as a preacher. 
You know that I hold you in the highest 
esteem and would not say a word to wound 
your feelings ; but, as a mission Secretary, I 
am more or less familiar with the condition 
of all the churches and the work of all the 
pastors. I have known you since you began 
your ministry. You are a man of splendid 
gifts as a preacher and good training both 
in college and the Seminary. But your pas- 
torates have been short. You nave moved 
about every two years. Your success has not 
been commensurate with your ability and 
training. There has evidently been some 
cause. I know your family and must say 
that no pastor could wish for a more lovely 
or helpful family than you have. Your 
churches have not been developed financially 
either for local or general work. I happen 
to know that almost every change of pastor- 
ates you have made was brought about by 
the church getting in arrears with your sal- 
ary. It may be that your position on this 
subject has caused you to fail to instruct 
your people so as to enlist them and has thus 
been the one handicap to your ministiy. I 
feel impelled to say this but it is said in the 
utmost kindness.' 

“Dr. Everett,” said Mr. Emerson, “I 
know that you are my friend. You have 
shown it in many ways for a number of 
years. I know, too, tliat you are sincere 


58 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


when you say that your remarks are meant 
in the utmost kindness. I receive them in 
the same spirit, i assure you; but I wish 
you and all present to know that I am con- 
scientiously opposed to tithing. My objec- 
tions are the result of a good deal ol thought 
on the subject. I understand that these 
meetings are for a full, free study of the sub- 
ject of stewardship and I shall plainly and 
frankly tell you my objections to tithing as 
a plan for Christians to follow. I may be 
wrong in my views but I am sincere. I may 
have failed to teach my churches as I should 
have done, but I have followed my convic- 
tions. 

“Now, Abraham was the founder ol the 
Jewish nation. Jacob was his grandson. It 
was right for them to give a tenth because 
they were Jews. But Christian stewardship 
is on a different basis ; the folowers of Christ 
should not tithe. That requirement was for 
the Jews only as a part of their system and 
government.” 

“Was not Abraham the father of all 
those who believe in Christ as well as of the 
Jews?” asked Lucile. 

“Yes,” said William Hardy, “Paul says, 
in Gal. 3:6-9, ‘Even as Abraham believed 
God, and it was reckoned unto him for right- 
eousness. Know, therefore, that they that 
are of faith, the same are the sons of Abra- 
ham. And the Scriptures foreseeing that 
God would justify the Gentiles by faith, 
preached the gospel beforehand unto Abra- 
ham, saying, ‘In thee shall all the nations be 
blessed. So then they that are of faith are 
blessed with faithful Abraham.’ Since Abra- 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


69 


ham was a representative of believers in 
Christ in his faith, it is certain that he was 
their representative in his financial support 
of the truth which sustained his faith. As 
for Jacob, he vowed to give a tenth in an 
hour when he consecrated himself to God, 
and surely consecration to service is not na- 
tional but personal and devolves upon Gen- 
tiles and Jews alike.” 

“It seems to me,” said Charley McGreg- 
or, “that Jacob summed up his whole life of 
service in his vow as though he said : ‘Lord, 
if you will be with me I will support your 
cause,’ and that the promise to give the tenth 
stood for all that personal, consecrated serv- 
ice includes.” 

“Your opinion is exactly correct,” said 
Dr. Adams. “The Hebrew, the Greek, and 
the English all bear out that conclusion.” 

“Yes,” said Mr. Lansdown, “the tenth 
there stands for all his service. Surely he 
proposed to do more than merely to give; 
but he does not say so. He simply meant to 
be God’s faithful steward in all things, just 
as any Gentile, or Jew, must be to serve 
God as a man should.” 

“I should like to know who taught Abra- 
ham, or Jacob, to give a tenth. How did 
they come to think about it,” said Mr. Gates. 

“Since Dr. Adams is president of a col- 
lege, is a historian of recognized ability and 
has given special study to the history of this 
practice,” said Mr. McGregor, “let us hear 
from him.” 

“I have not the time to go fully into 
the matter,” said Dr. Adams. “I will give 
you simply what I have found to be his- 


60 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


torically true. It is this: Every ancient 
nation of which we have any account did two 
things ; they offered bloody sacrifices to their 
gods and paid tithes to their priests. We 
need not inquire who told Noah to offer sac- 
rifices when he went out of the ark. It was a 
part of God’s teaching from the time sin 
fastened guilt on human souls and made them 
need Christ’s blood. So we need not inquire 
who told Abraham or Jacob to give a tenth 
to support those who taught the truth con- 
cerning the blood. Unless somebody taught 
it, men would not have a knowledge of it, and 
the duty of both teaching and supporting the 
teachers was revealed at the time that salva- 
tion through the blood was revealed. I have 
found that Egyptians, Babylonians, Ara- 
bians, Phoenicians, Chinese, the people of 
India, Rome, Greece, and indeed all ancient 
nations gave tithes. I have traced it back to 
3800 B. C., over 1500 years before Moses. 
Indeed, Monactius says, ‘Instances are men- 
tioned in history of some nations who did not 
offer sacrifices ; but in the annals of all time 
none are found who did not pay tithes.’ ” 
(The Law of the Tithe, p. 24.) 

“Why then did the Jews make it a part 
of their national law?” asked Mr. Emerson. 

“That the Levitical system did not orig- 
inate paying tithes to religious teachers will 
be admitted by you, will it not?” asked Mr. 
Ellsworth. 

“Yes, I will admit that history proves 
it.” 

“Well, then, that is settled. The Levit- 
ical system did not originate it. Only one 
explanation remains which is that Moses in- 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


61 


corporated it into the Levitical system. So 
then let us give up the idea, forever, that 
it had either its beginning, or its authority, 
from the Levitical or Jewish religious sys- 
tem. If we will keep this in mind it will 
wonderfully clear up this question. In fact, 
nine-tenths of all the difficulties in the way 
of tithing disappear as soon as this is seen 
to be true.” 

“The Bible itself proves that tithing 
preceded the Levitical system over 400 
years,” said William Hardy. “Abraham gave 
tithes over four centuries before Moses. It 
is clear from the Bible that it was a duty 
that was practiced before the Levitical law 
and therefore, that law only incorporated it. 
The same, precisely, is true of the Sabbath. 

“We may reasonably expect to find it 
explained at much more length in the rev- 
elation of God concerning worship when 
it was incorporated and applied in the sup- 
port of the priesthood, just as we find the 
whole moral law stated more fully by 
Moses,” said Judge West, “but both the duty 
to support religious teachers and to do right 
existed from the beginning. To show what 
I mean, we will read Lev. 27 :30, ‘And all 
the tithe of the land, whether of the seed 
of the land, or of the fruit of the tree is 
Jehovah’s: It is holy unto Jehovah.’ Here 
we have the ownership of the tenth stated. 
Jehovah did not own the tenth, as His spe- 
cial part, because it was in Leviticus ; but it 
was put into the record because it was Jeho- 
vah’s.” 

“There is another place where this is 
made very plain, I think. It is in Num. 


62 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


18 :20, 21. I will ask Miss Lucile to read it, 
if she will.” 

She had opened the Bible at the passage 
as soon as he gave it. She read: “And the 
Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no 
inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou 
have any part among them: I am thy part 
and thy inheritance among the children of 
Israel. And, behold, I have given the chil- 
dren of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an 
inheritance, for their service which they 
serve, even the service of the tabernacle of 
the congregation.” 

“This matter is getting clearer to me,” 
said Mr. Borden. “The expression T am thy 
inheritance’ undoubtedly means, my part is 
your part, and it was so essentially God’s 
own that He speaks of it as though it were 
himself. This is clear and it is strong, even 
stronger than the declaration ‘The tenth is 
the Lord’s.’ ” 

“It seems to me,” said Lucile, ‘‘that the 
whole matter resolves itself into this: Shall 
men give according to their own wills, or 
shall they give according to God's will ? Set- 
tle this and you have settled the whole mat- 
ter of stewardship, except the details of esti- 
mating income and the distribution of the 
tenth.” 

“Well,” said Charley, “Cain gave accord- 
ing to his own will, but Abel gave according 
to God’s will. You can take your choice for 
your example. Sister, you have put it ex- 
actly right. It is either man’s will or God’s 
in the matter of stewardship and I have de- 
cided what I am going to do. From this 
night I shall give a tenth of all I make, be it 


FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 


63 


little or much. It doesn’t matter whether 
I prosper or not, the tenth is the Lord’s and 
it shall be His in my case.” 

“You will prosper, Charley,” said Dr. 
Everett, “in all probabilty. Will Miss Lucile 
read Mai. 3:8-10, please?” 

She read, “Will a man rob God? Yet 
ye rob me. But ye say. Wherein have we 
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye 
are cursed with a curse ; for ye rob me, even 
this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe 
into the storehouse, that there may be food 
in my house, and prove me now herewith 
saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open 
the windows of heaven, and pour you out a 
blessing, that there shall not be room to re- 
ceive it.” 

“That means a blessing in the products 
of the fields, in property, as the following 
verses show very plainly,” said Dr. Everett. 

“This discussion is throwing new light 
on the whole mater of financing religious 
work,” said Mr. Jamison. “God meant in 
all ages for His truth to be given to the 
whole world, and, it would take the tenth to 
finance the world-wide work.” 

“But we are Christians and not Jews,” 
said Mr. Emerson. 

“That does not appeal to me,” repfied Mr. 
Jamison. “Christians should surely give as 
systematically as Jews. Christians should 
undoubtedly give as much to spread the great 
blessings of the gospel, as Jews should to 
have a partial revelation and types and shad- 
ows taught. If the argument against tithing 
is that the claims of Christianity for finan- 
cial support are less than those of Judaism 


64 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


for support there is nothing in it. I know 
that if the law was worthy of a tenth, that 
it might be taught, the gospel is worthy of at 
least as much.” 

“But what does the New Testament say? 
We are under the New Testament, not the 
Old. I do not believe the New Testament sus- 
tains the tithing doctrine,” insisted Mr. Em- 
erson. 

“We shall see tomorrow evening,” said 
Mr. Ellsworth. “It is now time to adjourn. 
Tomorrow evening we shall see what the 
New Testament says.” 

After an earnest prayer by Dr. Everett 
they adjourned. They all told Dr. Everett 
good-bye, as he had to leave that night so as 
to be in his office in the morning. 


CHAPTER V. 


JEW, GENTILE AND CHRISTIAN OBLIGATION. 

At 8 o’clock the little company had gath- 
ered. The interest had increased and deep- 
ened. Every one present, even Joseph Page, 
was filled with an earnest desire to know 
the truth about the matter to be investigated. 

“Before we begin our study,” said Mr. 
Page, “I wish to make a statement. I have 
been a member of the church for eighteen 
years, have been a deacon eleven years and 
treasurer of the church five, but I have never 
taken religious finances seriously. In fact, 
my religion has not been to me a serious 
matter. I have regarded church work light- 
ly. I have regarded the pastoral relation and 
the whole question of stewardship lightly. 
These discussions have changed me. I see 
the whole matter in a different light and I 
see that a Christian’s life, his talents and his 
ability to make money are gifts from God 
to invest for the world’s good and the glory 
of God. I do not believe in tithing, but these 
discussions have done one great thing for 
me; they have given me a new vision of 
what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ 
and also a new appreciation of the ministry. 
We are in a great, world-wide partnership 
business to take to every person in each 
generation the blessings of the gospel and of 
all God’s truth affecting human welfare. 
Now, I repeat that tithing seems to me like 


66 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


going back to Judaism. I do not believe in it 
but I am willing to very seriously study the 
matter and go to the bottom of it.” 

As he talked, Mr. Lansdown’s face was 
a study. There was evidently a struggle go- 
ing on in him. 

“We are glad to hear these words from 
Deacon Page,” said the pastor, “and are also 
glad to believe that these studies will benefit 
all of us. We will take up the New Testa- 
ment this evening and see what it teaches 
on this question.” 

“I believe that all are agreed,” said 
Lucile, “that the Old Testament teaches tith- 
ing. Are we all agreed on this?” 

“Yes,” said Mr. Emerson, “I agree that 
the Old Testament teaches it. In fact, no 
one denies that. I never heard a man in my 
life deny that God required of the Jews a 
tenth for the support of the Levites and 
priests.” 

“Then,” replied Lucile, “it being estab- 
lished in the Old Testament that God re- 
quired His people to give a tenth, if the New 
Testament should not contain anything 
about it at all, we must reasonably conclude 
that it was still required. We must find 
something in the New Testament which 
either annuls proportionate giving, or de- 
mands some other proportion of one’s in- 
come, or the tenth is still required.” 

“I could not agree with you in that con- 
clusion,” said Mr. Emerson. “That is going 
too far.” 

“Not at all,” said Judge West. “Miss 
Lucile is eminently correct. If a government 
is changed, all the revenue measures that 


OBLIGATIONS 


67 


were in force under the old regime are in force 
until the new government institutes others. 
If under the Jewish government, leaving out 
entirely the argument from the existence of 
the tithing obligation and its practice before 
that government was formed, Jehovah’s rev- 
enue system for the support of religious 
teachers was the tenth, it reasonably follows 
that tithing was neither abrogated nor 
changed unless the New Testament explicitly 
abrogates or changes it. Taking into con- 
sideration that it is the same kind of service 
in both cases, namely, publishing and teach- 
ing religious truth, makes Miss Lucile’s con- 
clusion all the more reasonable. Taking into 
consideration the further fact that it is the 
same ruler in both dispensations, namely, 
God, it follows as a certainty that unless the 
New Testament contains some statement ab- 
rogating or changing the requirement, it 
continues. The New Testament does inot 
have to mention tithing in any place for it to 
be the duty of Christians.” 

“May I not ask you. Judge,” said Mr. 
Lansdown, “if, since tithing was recognized 
as a duty by the servants of God long prior 
to the Levitical system and was not orig- 
inated by that system but incorporated into 
it and thus caried forward, is it not reason- 
able to believe that it survived that system 
unless we have an explicit statement to the 
contrary?” 

“Certainly,” said Judge West, “that is 
true. Every presumption is in favor of its 
continuing to be God’s plan for supporting 
the teachers of His truth. We must have 
something in the New Testament clearly 


68 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


showing it is not, or we must practice it if 
we would be faithful stewards.” 

“The New Testament not only does not 
abrogate tithing,” said Dr. Adams, “but it 
teaches it.” 

“That is what I want to know about,” 
said Mr. Emerson. “If that is true, I am 
ready to yield, but not before.” 

“Let us then turn to Matt. 23:23,” said 
Dr. Adams. “Miss Lucile has been reading 
for us. She will read that passage, please.” 
She read, “Woe unto you, scribes and Phari- 
sees, hypocrites ! for ye tithe mint and anise 
and cummin, and have left undone the 
weightier matters of the law, justice, and 
mercy, and faith ; but these ye ought to have 
done and not to have left the other undone.” 

“Now,” said Dr. Adams, “this passage 
is perfectly clear. They were very strict 
about tithing. The rabbis taught that gar- 
den vegetables need not be tithed. They 
taught that only the crops of the field, the 
fruits of the trees and the increase of the 
herd should be tithed. But these Pharisees 
went back of the teaching of their rabbis to 
the primary requirement of God, that all in- 
come should be tithed. Jesus agreed with 
them on this point and told them that they 
should have observed justice and mercy and 
faith, but not left undone tithing mint, anise 
and cummin. He agreed with them that all 
sources of income should be tithed whether 
the rabbis taught it or not.” 

“But in the next verse,” said Mr. Emer- 
son, “he called them blind guides who strain- 
ed at a gnat and swallowed a camel. He did 
not approve of their conduct.” 


OBLIGATIONS 


69 


“Certainly, he did not approve of strain- 
ing out gnats and swallowing camels. But 
should they have swallowed the gnats ? They 
should not have swallowed either gnats or 
camels. Let us look into these verses and 
see what they really mean. Which is the 
more valuable the truth itself or details about 
supporting itV The truth, of course. Jus- 
tice, mercy and faith are of more value than 
the tenth of mint, anise and cummin. The 
truth concerning ethics and worship was not 
made for tithing, but tithing was made for 
the truth. So when the truth concerning 
ethics and worship is ignored for the details 
of stewardship the person so doing does 
wrong. He should first embody the truth in 
his own character and then give the tenth 
to send it to others. This is the meaning of 
the words of Christ.” 

“There is one thing perfectly clear, and 
beyond dispute,” said William Hardy. “It 
is that Jesus told those Fharaisees that they 
ought to tithe. It may be contended that he 
never told his disciples to tithe, but he did 
tell those Pharisees to do so. We will have 
to conclude that he taught them one thing 
and his disciples another or else we must 
conclude that he meant for his disciples, 
who heard him teaching that day, to prac- 
tice what they heard. I prefer to believe 
that he meant to teach all the same duty; 
that he meant for his disciples to observe 
justice, mercy and faith and not leave un- 
done giving the tenth of all their income.” 

“Is there any one here who denies that 
Jesus taught those people to tithe?” asked 
Lucile. 


10 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


There was silence for a few moments. 
Then Mr. Emerson said that he supposed 
there were none. 

“Then,” said Lucile, “here, at least, is 
one place where tithing is taught in the New 
Testament, by the Lord himself.” 

“Yes, but he was talking to hypocritical 
Pharisees and not to Christians,” said Mr. 
Page. 

“But if hypocritical Pharisees were told 
by our Savior that they ought not to have 
neglected tithing would he tell us to neglect 
it altogether? To my mind that fact is over- 
whelming in its convincing power that true 
followers of Jesus Christ ought to make the 
tenth the minimum.” 

“But those Pharisees were under the 
law, whereas, we are under grace.” 

“Does grace destroy duty? Does grace 
destroy, or lessen, the obligation of religious 
stewardship? Does grace require that we 
run our church work at hap-hazard and 
doom every church to some loose financial 
method which is necessarily a failure? Two 
things are clear to me: One is that the 
gospel and its benefits deserve and require 
for its proclamation, in all the earth, as 
large a proportion of the income of Christian 
people as teaching the Old Testament did of 
the Jews’ income. The other is that Chris- 
tian work should be regularly and systemat- 
ically supported, because if it is not it never 
can succeed.” 

“Miss Lucile is right,” said Mr. Jami- 
son. “The deacons here know that I have 
been the one with many plans for doing the 
work of this church. I have been a deacon 


OBLIGATIONS 


71 


fifteen years. Some of them have said that 
my head was full of plans and it has been. I 
have proposed to this church, in the past 
fifteen years, every plan I ever knew to be 
adopted by any church. We have had bud- 
gets and envelopes and calendars and collect- 
ors. The deacons have divided the member- 
ship among themselves and agreed to be- 
come responsible for their assignments. We 
have had every plan under the sun. I know 
for I am the one who submitted them. They 
have all failed. The Bible has a very simple 
plan, ‘Bring ye the whole tithe into the store- 
house.’ Jesus said, ‘you should not have lefi- 
undone the tithing of anything, even garden 
vegetables.’ Not one of us here this even- 
ing will deny that he said this, not one of us 
will deny that the duty of stewardship is, at 
least, as binding upon Christians as on any 
other people who have lived on the earth, 
and not one will deny that tithing all sources 
of income, just as Jesus said do, would 
finance all departments of religious work 
and put the churches, at once, on a sound 
financial basis. From now on I shall have 
one plan as a deacon of this church. I do 
not hope to get everybody to adopt it, but 
my job shall be to teach it and make converts 
to it, gaining one after another, and making 
it as near unanimous as I can.” 

“But what shall we say about the Phar- 
isee whom Jesus contrasted with the Pub- 
lican?” asked Mr. Emerson. “There you 
Lave a tither.” 

Mr. Ellsworth had the Bible open at 
the place, Luke 18:11,12, and read, “The 
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with him- 


72 THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 

self, God, I thank thee that I am not as 
the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adul- 
terers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice 
in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 
Now, this picture is drawn by our Savior 
to teach the sin of pride and the beauty of 
humility. He has the Pharisee set forth his 
virtues in three respects; his ethical worth- 
iness, not unjust nor an extortioner; his per- 
sonal devotion, fasted twice a week instead 
of once, and his conscientious stewardship, 
he gave a tenth of all his income. Shall we 
argue against tithing because that Pharisee 
practiced it? Then we must argue against 
uprightness and worship. Shall we argue 
in favor of extortion, injustice and adultery? 
Jesus said that our righteousness should ex- 
ceed that of the Pharisees, i. e., that we 
should be better men than they. That Phar- 
isee needed to do all that he did and more, 
viz: be humble, confess his sins and ask for 
mercy. Now, if we are humble, acknowledge 
our sins, obtain pardon and then are upright 
in our dealings, just and clean, devout, and 
faithful stewards we will be living according 
to the will of Christ.” 

“I have attended these meetings and 
have not said anything,” sa’d Rev. Jesse 
Gray, who preached to rural churches. “I 
have never been in favor of tithing, and 
must confess that I am not yet convinced, 
but it seems to me that this is one of the 
strongest arguments yet adduced for it. 
Jesus evidently had that man recount his 
virtues, those we all acknowledge and com- 
mend. In his summary the whole matter 
of stewardship is expressed in one thing, 


OBLIGATIONS 


73 


he gave ‘a tenth of all’ his income. I do 
not see how Jesus could have emphasized 
tithing more than to make it represent all of 
stewardship. Jesus here, by this example, 
unquestionably gives a parallel to your in- 
terpretation of Jacob’s vow, that all the 
duty of stewardship was comprehended in 
his vow to give a tenth. This is strong. 
There is no doubt at all in my mind that 
Jesus meant to teach all who heard him that 
the Pharisee was under the same obligation 
to give the tenth, that he was under to wor- 
ship God, or be a just, clean man. To deny 
this would be to go against all reason. The 
one thing which is in my way is the fact 
that the man was a Jew. Jesus undoubtedly 
taught, in the most emphatic way possible, 
that the Jews ought to tithe all they got.” 

“Well,” said Lucile, “we have, at least, 
found tithing in the New Testament.” 

“And I insist,” added Mr. Hardy, “that a 
follower of Jesus Christ should give as much 
as Christ taught a Pharisee should give. I 
have practiced it twenty years and thank 
God for it. Nothing ever exercised a greater 
influence for good over my life. Jesus says 
that the treatment his disciples receive he 
receives, and I am sure we should consider 
that we are giving to him personally when 
we support the gospel, just as the people did 
when they supported him on earth. It is a 
great joy to me to feel that I am giving to 
my Savior, according to his will, and not 
grudgingly ‘donating’ now and then to him. 
I cannot express my horror when I think of 
the awful sin of putting Christian steward- 
ship on the basis of ‘donations,’ or charity. 


74 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


It was a master stroke of satan’s when he 
got that started.” 

“On one occasion Jesus watched the 
people as they put money into the treasury, " 
said Mr. Ellsworth. “He was interested in 
their giving.” 

“Did the Jews have two treasuries in 
the temple or their synagogues?” asked 
David Gray. 

Miss Morrison could not repress an 
amused smile. 

“No; they had only one,” said the pas- 
tor. 

“Then do you mean to say that when 
they gave their tithes they brought the 
money and put into that treasury, the one 
treasury in God’s house?” 

“Yes, that is the way they did. That 
is what Malachi meant by the expression, 
‘Bring ye the whole tithe into the store- 
house.’ ” 

“Then it was their custom to take their 
tithe money and put it into the treasury in 
the temple or their synagogues, was it not?” 

“It seems to me, if this is true, that the 
occasion when Jesus sat by the treasury and 
watched the people put in the money was a 
tithing occasion, exactly such a one as is 
called for in Malachi, and that those people 
were bringing their tithes when the widow 
brought her share of her scant earnings and 
put it all in. 

“They fit into Malachi’s requirement. 
The occasion was just such an occasion as 
is called for in Malachi, beyond a doubt. 
The rich cast in much, of course, beause 
their tenth amounted to much. It was also 


OBLIGATIONS 


75 


their superfluity, because they had their 
investments and other money left. But that 
widow was a day laborer. She had nothing to 
live on but her wages and they were very 
small. She, however, refused to let the rich 
do her giving. She saved her part out of her 
extremely small earnings, took it to God’s 
treasury and put it in. It was more than the 
others gave because it was, in proportion, 
the same as theirs, and, moreover, all she 
had. It was one-eighth of a cent, but it was 
all.” 

“I never heard that occasion interpreted 
that way before,” said Mr. Lansdown. “It 
may not be correct, but I think it was a tithe 
bringing occasion as was their custom. I 
am sure that thousands of deacons would 
have advised that widow against giving, and 
told her to let those give who were more able 
to support the cause. They would have rob- 
bed her of what is worth more than money 
and violated God’s principle of stewardship 
which requires unanimous giving. We should 
not hesitate to do His will for He sees and 
knows us.” 

“What do you think of the time when 
the disciples sold all that they had and held 
all their property in common?” asked John 
Mooreland. 

“That was a time of distress,” said Dr. 
Adams. “They were, momentarily, liable to 
be killed and their property taken. It was 
the only safe way they could live while the 
persecution was raging. They did like fam- 
ilies on the frontier used to do when the In- 
dians went on the war-path. They all lived 
together, for the time, for protection. That 


76 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


did not last long and is not to be regarded 
as having any bearing on the question of 
stewardship under normal conditions. It 
was simply a distressing emergency which 
had to be met.” 

“The support of the ministry is dis- 
cussed at more length in I Cor. 9 than in 
any other place in the New Testament. 
There Paul clearly shows that such support 
is not different in principle in the New Test- 
ament from what is was in the Old Testa- 
ment,” said the pastor. “Let us read sev- 
eral verses so as to get his entire state- 
ment: ‘What soldier ever serveth at his own 
charges? Who planteth a vineyard and eat- 
eth not the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a 
flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 
Do I speak these things after the manner 
of men ? or saith not the law the same ? For 
it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox 
when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the 
oxen that God careth, or saith he it assured- 
ly for our sake? Yea, for our sake it was 
written: because he that ploweth ought to 
plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to 
thresh in hope of partaking. If we sowed 
unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter 
if we reap your carnal things? If others 
partake of this right over you, do not we 
yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this 
right; but we bear all things, that we may 
cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 
Know ye not that they that minister about 
sacred things eat of the things of the temple, 
and they that wait upon the altar have their 
portion with the altar? Even so did the 
Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gos- 
pel should live of the gospel” verses 7-14. 


OBLIGATIONS 


77 


Now, let it be remembered that this is the 
fullest statement on this subject in the New 
Testament. 

“The very first thing we notice here is 
that to receive support is plainly declared 
to be a minister’s ‘right’ and not a charity. 
He is compared to a soldier, a vine 
grower, a stockman and a farmer. These 
are honorable callings and what is received 
from pursuing them is received on the basis 
of rightful business. Paul declared that he 
drew his argument for unhampered minis- 
terial support from the law and intimates 
that not giving ministers a support is treat- 
ing them worse than the muzzled oxen. The 
actual fact is that if some church members 
treated their cattle as they do their preach- 
ers the cattle would starve to death. 

“Then Paul plainly and outright com- 
pares gospel ministers with Levites serving 
in the temple. This undoubtedly shows that 
the principles of stewardship in both the 
Old Testament and the New are the same. 
Paul says that ‘even so,’ i. e., as those who 
ministered in sacred things were supported, 
those who proclaim the gospel should live of 
the gospel. The people to whom he wrote 
were perfectly familiar with tithing to sup- 
port those who ministered at the alter. It 
is beyond belief that he meant to teach that 
ministers of the gospel should receive less, 
or have their support doled out to them ir- 
regularly as a sort of charity.” 

“This language of Paul comes very far 
from abrogating tithing,” said Mr. McGreg- 
or. “It confirms it absolutely as I see it.” 


78 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


He spoke as a business man accustomed 
to considering his words. 

“The last reference to tithing in the New 
Testament is in Heb. 7 :4-8,” said Mr. Ells- 
worth. “Before we go let us study it. Here 
it is: ‘Now consider how great this man 
was, unto whom Abraham, the Patriarch, 
gave a tenth out of the chief spoils. And 
they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive 
the priest’s office have a commandment to 
take tithes of the people according to the 
law, that is of their brethren, though these 
have come out of the loins of Abraham : but 
he whose genealogy is not counted from them 
hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath 
blessed him that hath the promises. But 
without any dispute the less is blessed of the 
better. And here men that die receive tithes; 
hut there one, of whom it is witnessed that 
he livefh.’ ” 

“This passage certainly shows that tith- 
ing is in the New Testament,” said Luc’le. 

“It does more than that,” replied the 
pastor, “it shows that the Christ priesthood, 
represented by Melchisedec, received tithes 
400 years before there was any Levitical 
priesthood.” 

“It does still more,” said Mr. Lansdown, 
“it shows that even the Levitical priesthood, 
by Abraham, pa’d tithes to the Christ priest- 
hood. This teaches and makes it clear that 
the ministry of the eternal vriesthood was 
the first on earth to receive tithes. Also, that 
it received them from the temporary priest- 
hood itself, and that it is to be thus sup- 
ported perpetually for the Christ priesthood 
abides perpetually — ‘of him it is witnessed 
that he liveth.’ So far from tithing not be- 


OBLIGATIONS 


79 

ing in the New Testament, it was paid the 
New Testament priesthood before it was 
paid to the Old Testament priesthood and 
was, therefore, in the deepest sense, in the 
New before it was in the Old. If any people 
on earth ever had on them the obligation to 
tithe, as the expression of their stewardship, 
they are those who serve the Christ who 
‘liveth’ and whose blood is the world’s only 
hope.” 

He had spoken with great earnestness 
and deep emotion. His love for Christ was 
seen in every feature and manifest in every 
tone of his voice. He was a very attractive 
man, not unusually handsome, but his whole 
bearing showed such strength of purpose 
and remarkable energy of mind and body 
that people immediately and naturally fol- 
lowed his leadership. He seemed to close the 
argument and leave no room, whatever, for 
any other conclusion to those who loved their 
Savior. 

Miss Morrison said: “I cannot express 
how glad I am that I made this visit at this 
time. I must confess that it was not wholly 
unselfish, or wholly to see Lucile, though she 
is my chum. My father is a deacon of the 
First Church, at home, and Lucile had said 
so many good things about her pastor, on 
her recent visit, that I wanted to know him 
and write to papa about him. We must have 
a pastor and I hope we will get one who 
loves God’s word and is consecrated like Mr. 
Ellsworth. If we do we will have a great 
church.” 

The pastor was a little embarrassed, but 
replied: “I am grateful for your high opin- 
ion, Miss Morrison, and I will confess that 


80 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


my own heart was greatly inclined toward 
Aberdeen. My wife and I were on our knees 
praying over a letter from Aberdeen, Tues- 
day evening, when Charley and Mr. Lans- 
down rang the door-bell. I feel that God has 
answered our prayers.” 

“There are some other things about this 
subject I want us to study,” said Mr. Mc- 
Gregor. “You have not shown yet how to 
get the members of a church to give the 
tenth. We have not considered objections 
to it, either. I want all of you to come again, 
tomorrow evening, and let us see the objec- 
tions to it, its benefits and how to get people 
to practice it.” 

They stood reverently and Mr. Ells- 
worth led them in a very earnest prayer for 
God to give them courage to do His will. He 
prayed that they might not seek their own 
way but God’s way and so invest their lives 
as to do the greatest amount of good for time 
and eternity.” 

As the others passed out, Mr. Lans- 
down lingered and told Lucile that he wished 
to talk with her about a certain matter for 
a few minutes. 

As soon as they were alone, he said: 
“This study of stewardship and the Bible 
has torn up and revolutionized my life’s 
plans. I have wanted to be useful all my 
life, especially since I was converted and 
joined the church, but I never saw my duty 
before. I feel impelled to give my life to the 
ministry. What do you think of it?” 

“Why, I am not the one to advise you on 
so important a matter. Ask Dr. Adams or 
Mr. Ellsworth. I do not know what to tell 
you.” 


OBLIGATIONS 


81 


“Perhaps they could advise me better 
from the standpoint of experience, but you 
know me better than they do; you under- 
stand me better. There are qualifications 
and handicaps that are better discovered by 
intuition than otherwise. Do you think I 
could be a good minister of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ? Tell me, please, just what you 
think. I could not leave, tonight, without 
your opinion.” 

Lucile saw that he was deeply in earn- 
est and she felt really alarmed at the respon- 
sibility he had so suddenly thrust upon her, 
but she knew that he was a man of decision 
and that he wanted her to tell him what she 
thought. 

“Mr. Lansdown,” she replied, “I see no 
reason why you should not be a successful 
minister. Your education, your gifts as a 
speaker, your habits as a student, your sym- 
pathy with people and your love for the 
Savior are all in your favor. I know noth- 
ing that would be detrimental or a handi- 
cap. It seems absurd for you to ask me 
about it, but I have told you the truth. You 
shall certainly have my best wishes for your 
success.” 

“I know it and I thank you very much. 
If I can get Dave, tomorrow, when school is 
dismissed, could you and Miss Morrison go 
for another drive?” 

“I know of no other plans of hers. We 
shall be delighted to go, if she has no other 
promise.” 

“If she has, phone me in the morning. 
Please keep my decision a secret for a while. 
Good-night.” 

“Good-night, Mr. Lansdown.” 


CHAPTER VI. 


STRAIGHT TALK CLEARS UP SOME CONFUSION. 

When Mr. Lansdown called David Gray 
and suggested the auto trip he found that 
the young la^wyer had just bought a new car, 
“built for two,” and that he had already 
obtained the promise of Miss Morrison to 
take the first drive in it. So nothing was left 
for him but to make his own arrangements. 
He thought, “Fll not let that fellow beat me. 
I have been planning to buy a car and I will 
treat him to as big a surprise as he has given 
me.” So he ’phoned to the garage that he 
would take the car he had talked about buy- 
ing and asked that it be ready at 3 : 30 in the 
afternoon. 

Miss Morrison was watching for the new 
car. At length she got a glimpse of one 
through the trees and in a moment heard 
the call at the front. She hurried down stairs 
and along ihe walk, not noticing who was 
in the car until she was nearly to it. Then 
she stopped short and burst into a laugh. 
“Mr. Lansdown ! I thought it was Mr. Gray. 
Is that your car?” 

“Yes, Dave ’phoned me that he had bought 
one and I did not propose for him to get 
ahead of me. Where is Miss Lucile?” 

“She is upstairs. I’ll run right back and 
tell her.” 

She started but had not reached the front 
door before another car came speeding up 


STRAIGHT TALK 


83 


and sounded its call. Lucile came down and 
they had a good deal of merriment about 
the young men planning a surprise for each 
other. Lucile got in the car and in a moment 
Mr. Lansdown was gone. He was a fast 
driver and an expert at handling a car. He 
had never had an accident but had come very 
near it several times. In a little while they 
were out of sight of the others and were 
speeding on toward the river bridge. The 
road ran up the river on the opposite side 
about twenty miles then crossed and cir- 
cled among the hills back to town. The day 
was ideal. The fresh green dress of spring 
made all nature gloriously beautiful and the 
air was exhilarating to the last degree. 

It is not the purpose of this story to go 
with these young people or to give any of 
the conversations which were carried on. I 
will, however, remark that upon her return. 
Miss Morrison said she liked the new car 
“wonderfully well” and she thought Platts- 
ville, though much smaller, was a far more 
“homey” town than Aberdeen. She was de- 
lighted with the drive up the river and 
thought the hills and valleys were wonder- 
fully beautiful. 

Lucile had advised Mr. Lansdown to talk 
with the pastor about his decision to be a 
minister. He said he would do so the first 
opportunity, and furthermore, that he pro- 
posed to enter the ministry at once, preach- 
ing whenever and wherever the way might 
open to him. She doubted the wisdom of 
what she regarded as undue haste, but after 
going to her room and thinking over the fact 
that he was a university graduate with sev- 


84 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


eral years’ experience in public life, she half 
changed her mind. Anyhow, she could not 
but admire him for his strength of character 
and his quick deisions. 

At eight o’clock they were all present 
again and Mr. Ellsworth asked if anyone 
had any statement to make or any question. 

“I wish to say,” remarked Mr. Emerson, 
“that the arguments for tithing from the 
New Testament are far stronger than I 
thought. I have been conscientious in my 
pronounced opposition to it, but I may have 
been wrong. It is not clear to me yet that 
a Christian ought to pay a tenth. I would 
like to know what benefits you think would 
result from it for I want to consider them 
before stating my objections.” 

“One benefit,” said Mr. McGregor, “is that 
it would give the church a continual, reliable 
income. The finances of the church could 
soon be so organized that the deacons would 
know what they might expect. That one 
benefit far overbalances every objection I 
have yet heard.” 

“Another benefit,” said Mrs. Ashmore, “is 
that it would distribute the support of the 
pastor among all the members of a country 
church and his own family would not have 
to bear the burden, as they do in ninety-nine 
country churches out of a hundred in this 
state. If my husband had preached tithing 
when he was a young man, and urged his 
churches to practice it, he could have given 
his whole time to the ministry, bought more 
books, visited among his members, been a 
far more useful man and might be living 
yet. He was a good man but neglected to do 


STRAIGHT TALK 


85 


his duty in teaching the people God’s word 
on stewardship.” 

“It seems to me that one of the chief bene- 
fits,” said Dr. Adams, “is that it would take 
from the outside world its main criticism of 
preachers, viz; that they preach for money. 
If the members put the whole tithe into the 
Lord’s treasury, voluntarily, pastors would 
not have to continually urge people to give. 
A financial plan which would rob critics of 
their chief objection to the ministry is, it 
seems to me, the right one.” 

“Another benefit,” said Judge West, “is 
that it would put deacons in their right and 
scriptural place and make them distributors 
instead of collectors. In the New Testament 
the deacons were distributors of what the 
people brought instead of being collectors 
from unwilling ‘donors.’ It is hard on a 
man’s spirituality to be a deacon and go 
continually among unwilling people to col- 
ect money for the church. I cannot think of 
an office that would give more pleasure if the 
people paid their tithes into the treasury so 
that the deacons could visit among the sick 
and destitute and relieve them. It would 
make them spiritual and tender-hearted, the 
ministers of God’s bounty to the poor and 
needy. Twenty-five years of such service 
would make any deacon a great, powerfully 
influential character in a community. It 
would be a joy to be a deacon; whereas, now 
it is a burden and continually discouraging. 
This benefit alone is enough to commend 
tithing to me and I propose not only to prac- 
tice it from now on but to urge it upon 


86 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


others. It is right and God’s word teaches 
it” 

“Still another benefit, it seems to me,” sa’d 
Charley McGregor, “is that it would put the 
minister’s children in a position where no 
one could taunt them about their dependence. 
I was a banker’s son in school and college 
and I have known some fine fellows who 
were made to feel keenly that their fathers 
were a sort of mendicants because they were 
preachers. Tithing as a plan of stewardship 
with direct responsibility to God would cure 
all that. It would put all on the basis of a 
common partnership.” 

“One of the best things about it, in my 
opinion,” said Deacon Hardy, “is that it 
would make every Christian business man 
realize more and more that Jesus Ch^’st is 
his nartner. Charley’s idea is exactly the 
right one — all nartners together and part- 
ners with Christ.” 

“If a man used one-tenth for God’s cause,” 
said David Grav. “he would not be b’able to 
squander or sinfully spend the other nine- 
tenths. I cannot think of anything that 
would be more effective toward making busi- 
ness men honorable, unright and clean in 
the’r lives than this basis of stewardship.” 

“I th’nk it would fiH the churches with 
cheerful givers,” said Mr. Ellsworth, “for it 
would certainly be a ioy to render unto the 
Lord his own. m wel1-sele'*ted, reb’g’ous in- 
vestments for Him maintaining and advanc- 
ing His cause.” 

“It would put giving on the basis of God’s 
will and not man’s wdl,” said Lucile. “This 
would create a tender religious conscience 


STRAIGHT TALK 


87 


concerning the tithe and the use of money 
and property. People will go right when 
their consciences are sensitive.” 

“It would result in the men taking vastly 
more interest in religion,” said Judge West. 
“The most powerful influence over a man is 
his business and if his business keeps him 
in heart-touch with religion all the time it 
will be easy and natural for him to be a good 
church member. No wonder men do not go 
to church and take an interest when their 
religion and business are divorced.” 

“There is no doubt,” said Mr. Hardy,“ that 
it would furnish funds for world-wide mis- 
sions and the building of Christian institu- 
tions everywhere. Let the church members 
obey God in this matter, from love for God 
and obligations to Him and a lost world, and 
the problem of flnancing the Christian con- 
quest of the whole earth would be solved. 
Not one of us here this evening can deny that 
this benefit would result from such steward- 
ship.” 

“It seems to me,” added Lucile, “that 
these benefits are of vital importance. Every 
one of them would, by itself, be conclusive 
as an argument for giving a tenth. When 
this world is so wicked and needs the gospel 
so much, when war and crime and ignorance 
are engulfing the world, surely God’s people 
ought to listen to Him and not to their own 
covetousness of money. It is safe to do what 
God says and trust Him for all results. The 
Bible is our guide and we should go accord- 
ing to its teachings on this subejct as well 
as others. I have been impressed that we 
blame others for not believing the promises 
about some things when we are just as guilty 


88 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


if we do not believe the promises connected 
with this matter of stewardship. We blame 
people for not obeying God while we our- 
selves do not obey Him on this vitally im- 
portant matter.” 

“You are right,” replied Mr. Hardy, “it is 
a matter of faith and obedience. We ought 
to take God at His word regarding finances, 
believe Him and obey Him. I know from 
experience that every promise of His will 
be kept by Him and that it is best for us to 
obey Him.” 

“There are objections to tithing,” said Mr. 
Emerson, “which I have never heard satis- 
factorily explained. The benefits you have 
enumerated are all good, but there are a 
number of objections which you have not 
met in any of the arguments you have made. 
Deacon Page referred to one of them when 
he said that tithing appears to him to be 
going back to Judaism, to put us under the 
law instead of grace.” 

“Grace,” replied Dr. Adams, “has to do 
with the salvation of our souls, while stew- 
ardship is a matter of good works. This and 
all other good works should not be thought 
of at all as saving us or taking the place of 
the blood of Christ to the least extent. By 
the term “law” you must mean the Levitical 
law as it applied to the priests and Levites. 
Certainly, you cannot refer to the moral law, 
the law of right and wrong, for if you do re- 
fer to that you must know that it never 
changes. What is right for one man is right 
for another and what was right for Adam 
will be right for the last man who will live 
on the earth. Grace is in completest har- 


STRAIGHT TALK 


89 


mony with the law of right and wrong. I* 
must ever be. For this very reason Christ 
had to die for sin. The law could not ho 
changed or compromised to accommodate 
man. Paul says that grace establishes that 
law. So you cannot mean to put grace 
against the law of right and wrong. Do 
you ?” 

“No; I mean the Levitial law. I do not 
want among Christians the practices that 
obtained under the Jewish theocracy, the 
Levitical law. I do not believe in Judaism 
for the churches of Jesus Christ.” 

“Then it is settled that when you speak 
of legalism you mean the Jewish system, the 
law of Jewish worship. Is that true?” 

“Yes, that is what I mean. The eleven 
tribes gave a tenth to the one tribe, to the 
Levites, to support them while they engaged 
as religious teachers, officers of the govern- 
ment etc. It was a Jewish matter.” 

“This objection has been fully answered 
by five incontrovertable arguments,” said 
Dr. Adams. “Here they are: 1. It has been 
shown that tithes were paid four hundred 
years before there was any Levitical system 
or Levitical law. So its origin could not 
have been Levitical, and as its origin was 
not Levitical its end was not Levitical. It 
was originated in the necessity for the sup- 
port of religious teachers which necessity is 
continuous with the existence of religion in 
the world. 2. It was shown that the first 
tithes of which we have a record were paid 
to Melchisedec, who was a type of Christ 
himself and therefore that tithing was Chris- 
tian rather than Jewish. This argument 


90 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


proved that tithing, as a method of steward- 
ship, is fundamentally Christian and not 
Jewish, since it was paid to the eternal and 
not the temporary priesthood: ‘There (i. e., 
in the case of Melchisedec) he receiveth them 
(tithes) of whom it is witnessed that he liv- 
eth.’ Hence, it was the living, eternal priest- 
hood that first received tithes. 3. It was 
further shown that Abraham, who paid 
tithes to the eternal priesthood, represented 
all believers in Jesus Christ and not the Jews 
only. So he was representing Christian peo- 
ple, believers in Christ, at the moment he 
gave tithes to Melchisedec, the representa- 
tive of Christ. It was thus shown that on 
both sides, the giver of the tithes and the re- 
ceiver of them, the transaction was essen- 
tially and fundamentally Christian, a model 
for everyone who should ever, thereafter, 
trust in Christ and have on him the obliga- 
tions of Christian Stewardship. 4. It was 
shown that Jacob vowed the tenth to God 
expressing his faithfulness as a steward of 
property. 5. It was shown that the Levitical 
system did not originate tithing but found 
it in the world as God’s rule of stewardship 
and adopted it. All these things have been 
shown and proved by the New Testament as 
well as the Old and they answer your objec- 
tion.” 

“But the Levites were more than religious 
teachers. They were officers of the law and 
educators of the children.” 

“These extra duties were not performed 
by the Levites exclusively by any means. 
Besides, there was a second and a third 
tithe which amount to as much as the tax 


STRAIGHT TALK 


91 


we pay. The tithe we are now concerned 
about was the ‘tithe teremuth’ the religious 
tithe. It was the one which Abraham paid 
and the one which Jacob vowed, which Jesus 
told the Pharisees they ought to have ob- 
served and which the writer to the Hebrews 
said was paid to ‘him who liveth.’ We are 
not at all concerned about those tithes which 
were purely national with the Jews but with 
the tenth which was paid long before there 
was any Jewish nation established by 
Moses.” 

‘‘I have a scripture which proves just 
what you have said, Dr. Adams,” said Lucile. 
‘‘It is the prophecy of Malachi concerning 
the coming of John the Baptist and of 
Christ. He says, ‘Then (i. e., when Christ 
comes) shall the offering of Judah and Jeru- 
salem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the 
days of old, and as in the ancient years.’ The 
prophet goes back to the beginning and puts 
Christian stewardship on the first revealed 
basis of giving. Am I not correct in think- 
ing that these two expressions, ‘the days of 
old, the ancient years,’ refer to the most re- 
mote period, the beginning?” 

‘‘Yes, that is what they mean,” replied Dr. 
Adams. ‘‘And that is exactly what that pass- 
age teaches. It teaches that when the Christ 
should come the original basis of steward- 
ship the tithe of every source of income 
should be rendered by his people.” 

‘‘But Christian stewardship is voluntary,” 
insisted Mr. Emerson. ‘‘Every appeal of 
Christianity is made to the human heart and 
to the human understanding. The appeal 


92 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


for support of the ministry is made to the 
individual.” 

“You are entirely right in that,” said the 
pastor, “but the appeal to support religious 
teachers is made to the individual just as 
much in the Old Testament as in the New. 
There is no difference. The appeal to give 
the tenth was always made to the individual. 
Abraham gave the tenth voluntarily. Jacob 
vowed it personally and voluntarily. The 
people in Nehemiah’s time brought their 
tithes voluntarily. The voluntary principle 
is carried forward into the New Testament. 

“This has always been my main objection 
to tithing,” replied Mr. Emerson. “It has 
appeared to me to be a tax collected by the 
government and not a voluntar matter with 
the individual. Christianity is not a tax 
gathering religion; it is free, voluntary, in 
all its appeals.” 

“Since that is your main objection,” said 
Dr. Adams, “I think we owe it to you and 
Mr. Page, and others who may oppose tith- 
ing to explain the point fully.” 

“You misunderstand me,” Dr. Adams “I 
do not oppose tithing. If any have found it 
well to enter into personal covenant with 
God to give one-tenth of his income to relig- 
ious causes I have no quarrel with him on 
that score whatever. I object to it as a 
financial plan for the churches, as a thing 
binding upon Christians.” 

“It seems to me,” said Mr. McGregor, “that 
it would be a lot better for the churches to 
have some financial plan than not to have 
any at all and be forever at the mercy of hap- 
hazard. This is exactly what is the matter 


STRAIGHT TALK 


93 


with our church now. I see no objection to 
all the members doing what each one may do 
individually. If an individual finds it well 
to give a tenth of his income s.vstematically, 
if it is a pleasure and helpful to his spiritual 
life, it appears to me that all the members in 
the church should do the same thing and that 
it would increase by just that much the bene- 
fits of such a practice. So far from this 
being an objection to tithing, it is a very 
convincing argument in its favor.” 

“The churches of the New Testament were 
organized on the voluntary principle,” said 
Mr. Ellsworth, “and it is entirely according 
to the New Testament for a church to adopt 
as its financial plan what God taught each 
individual to do and then appeal to the ihdi- 
divuals. There would be in such a church’s 
financial plan plenty of room for teaching 
and appeal. The fact is that such a plan thus 
operated is in complete harmony with the 
whole great pursuasive program of the New 
Testament. No church in the New Testa- 
ment made giving compulsory, or excluded 
members for not giving. In the Old Testa- 
ment no one was cut off from among the peo- 
ple if he did not give the tenth. It was not 
a matter for which people were punished 
by law. God simply commanded the people 
to give his part to the Levites. If they did 
not obey Him he held them personally re- 
sponsible to Him for such disobedience. 
They did not gain by such failure, as their 
history proves. So Christian people will not 
gain by not giving God’s part to obey the 
Great Commission.” 

“Because a duty is voluntary,” said Judge 


94 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


West, “is no proof that it is not binding. It 
is our duty to bring our wills into harmony 
with God’s will. We should purpose in our 
hearts to do the things which God requires 
so that we may be willing, cheerful servants 
of His and not disobedient or unwilling 
obedient.” 

“Then you do not look upon tithing as a 
tax,” said Mr. Emerson. 

“Not at all,” said Judge West “it is no 
more a tax on people’s money than the Sab- 
bath is a tax on their time. It is a voluntary 
matter with each man, just like doing right 
and obeying God in anything else. The 
church would not turn its deacons into tax 
collectors but into distributors of what the 
people voluntarily brought. Collections 
would not be necessary except for freew'ill, 
offerings and when emergencies arose. You 
will admit that if a people have no Sabbath, 
as a regular time for worship, their religion 
will decay. There must be some system about 
the time given to worship, even though it is 
voluntary. So there must be system about 
financing religious work or it will not be 
done. It is an amazing thing that so many 
people think that because there is no penalty 
prescribed for not doing their financial duty 
to God they are excused from giving any- 
thing at all.” 

“Do you think it is right for a church to 
expect as much from a poor man with a large 
fam’ly as it does from a rich man with a 
small family?” 

“Do you think God does wrong?” 

“No, I do not; but I fail to get your 
meaning.” 


STRAIGHT TALK 


95 


“I mean this : Everybody admits that God 
required from a nation that they give a 
tenth to support His cause. In that nation 
some poor men had large families and some 
rich men had small families but God made 
no exceptions to the requirement. So what- 
ever force there is to that objection is really 
against God.” 

“I see that as I never saw it before. But 
how do you know how much the tenth is; 
how do you compute it?” 

“Well, if you urge that as objection to 
tithing, it also is an objection to God, for He 
told a nation to give the tenth and if He told 
them to do a thing they could not know how 
to obey. His wisdom was surely at fault. We 
can have no more difficulty in computing the 
tenth than the Jews had. Every objection 
to tithing is in reality an objection to God 
when you look into it fully. But to answer 
your question, I will say the matter is simple 
enough, Just compute the total income, sub- 
tract the cost of production and tithe what is 
left. Take the nine-tenths for your labor 
and your expenses and give one-tenth, as you 
purpose in your heart, to the various depart- 
ments of religious work.” 

“But income is not regular. Sometimes a 
man does not know until the end of the year 
what he has made. How would you compute 
it in that case?” 

“I would take my family expenses, divide 
it by nine and give that part. It would be a 
tenth of what I would have to make to sup- 
port my family. Then, at the end of the 
year, or when I had an income, I would ad- 


96 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


just the account and give the rest of the 
tenth.” 

“Suppose you lost money instead of get- 
ting a profit.” 

“In that case I think a man’s family must 
have a support, if he has to borrow money 
temporarily. God’s cause has to be sup- 
ported, too, and a man ought to borrow the 
proportionate amount, one ninth as much as 
his actual family expenses and give to the 
proclamation of God’s saving truth and the 
support of Christian institutions. We ought 
not to have families if they are to be desti- 
tute of God’s truth. The human being is not 
a mere animal and God did not intend that 
the place where people rear their young 
should be like the lair of the beast. The 
home as God ordained it is essentially a re- 
ligious organization. This world needs 
God’s truth just as much as it needs children 
and homes. So every man should support 
religion just as conscientiously as he sup- 
ports his home and to make the home ex- 
penses the basis for computing the amount 
we give between income periods is the cor- 
rect basis.” 

“Do you mean to say that religion is just 
as important to the human race as the exist- 
ence of the race itself?” 

“Certainly, and this truth should be con- 
tinually before every man and woman in the 
world. It should enter vitally into this mat- 
ter of stewardship. People are not mere ani- 
mals. No man and woman on earth have 
the right to keep a godless or irreligious 
home. As I said, the place where children 
are brought up should not be like the lair of 


STRAIGHT TALK 


97 


the beast. Every man should support that 
which sheds God’s glory into the lives of his 
children just as conscientiously as he sup- 
ports his children. Every mother should in- 
sist that her husband should support that 
truth which gives the home its distinctive, 
God-ordained dignity and glory just as hon- 
estly and loyally as he supplies the physical 
necessities for his family. If this position is 
not true, then we are all mere brutes; if it 
is true, honest stewardship is the highest 
duty both to God and a man’s family.” 

“But the Bible says, ‘As a man purposeth 
in his heart, so let him give.’ ” 

“Suppose that all the people on earth 
should purpose not to give anything for two 
generations and religion should become obso- 
lete, would they do any wrong by destroy- 
ing religion?” 

“Your supposition is preposterous.” 

“No more preposterous for all individuals 
to do it than for one. If one person may do 
a thing without blame all may. I made the 
application universal to show you the sin of 
following a preverse heart-purpose. The 
argument of the apostle is for the people to 
bring their heart purposes into harmony 
with the will of God and not that God’s re- 
quirement should be, or can be brought down 
to the perverted desire of a covetous heart. 
Men are required of God to worship Him, 
yet every man should worship with an earn- 
est free will. The fact that a man’s will is 
perverted and he does not desire to worship 
God at all does not change the matter or 
release him from his obligation to worship 


98 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


and serve God. It is exactly the same way 
in the matter of stewardship.” 

“This is the thing which has impressed 
me from the beginning,” said Lucile. “It is 
simply a question of man’s will or God’s will. 
If stewardship is to be measured by man’s 
will, notions, whims, or impulses, then, if a 
man concludes not to give an5rthing at all he 
does no wrong. It is a matter concerning 
which he has no responsibility. But if it is 
a matter of responsibility to God and meas- 
ured by God’s will, then every man should 
strive to know God’s will on the subject and 
obey it without question or hesitation. All 
Bible students of all religious denominations 
who have come to any conclusion concerning 
the proportion to be given have said that 
God requires a tenth of man’s income for 
the support of religion. Dr. Adams and our 
pastor, who have searched into this matter, 
have both told us this and not one of us has 
disputed it.” 

“I have listened to what all of you have 
said,” quietly remarked Mr. Gray, “and I 
have come to the conclusion that the pros- 
perity of country churches has been to a great 
extent destroyed through false notions of 
stewardship and that we country pastors are 
to blame for it. I have been thinking of one 
weak, struggling church after another that 
would now be a strong body with a com- 
manding influence if its members had only 
given according to God’s will instead of with- 
holding according to their own misinformed 
and mi.sdirected wills. I have made up my 
mind to do my duty from now on. I have 
come to the firm conclusion that if the people 
get right on the matter of stewardship the 


STRAIGHT TALK 


99 


cause of Christ will go forward as never be-, 
fore. I am guilty of shameful neglect as a 
pastor, because I have been afraid the people 
would say I was preaching for money.” 

“The one way to stop that criticism,” said 
Mr. Hardy, “is for the people to put the 
whole tithe into the Lord’s treasury. Then 
the pastors could preach on its proper dis- 
tribution to best accomplish the conquest of 
the whole world for Jesus Christ.” 

“What other objection have you to tith- 
ing, Mr. Emerson,” asked Mr. McGregor. “I 
want to hear all of them so that they may 
have due consideration and be answered if 
possible.” 

“I do not know that I have any other ob- 
jection, except that I do not think the plan 
is practicable. I do not think it can be made 
to work in a church.” 

“Well, the question of its praticability will 
require more time than we have this even- 
ing,” said Mr. McGregor, “and I propose 
that we take that up Monday evening.” 

“Before we go,” said Mrs. Ashmore, “I 
want to say how glad I am that Mr. Gray is 
going to teach this truth to his churches 
from now on. How I wish my husband had 
emphasized it in his lifetime. I believe he 
would be alive today if he had been relieved 
of the burdens he carried on account of his 
churches neglecting him and his family. Go 
on and God bless you, is my earnest wish 
and it shall be my prayer.” 

“I want to add a word to encourage you,” 
said Mr. Folsom. “I am old and very feeble. 
Only a very few days remain to me on earth. 
How I wish I had preached stewardship as I 


100 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


ought to have done. But I neglected it. You 
are a young man and can do a great deal 
of good. Teach this truth to the people, and 
my brother, don’t neglect to teach it to the 
preachers. They need it. They are respon- 
sible, as leaders. Make them see their duty 
concerning this matter and urge them to do 
it as in the sight of God.” 

They stood and the pastor asked Mr. Lans- 
down to pray. His prayer was one of com- 
mitment to God and surrender to do what- 
ever God would have him and the others do 
to fill the whole world with the truth and all 
the blessings and benefits of religion. He 
closed with the sentence, “Lead us, dear 
Father, as children in all the paths of duty 
and help us to obey instantly and joyfully in 
Jesus name. Amen.” 

Dr. Adams took the 10 o’clock train for 
Aberdeen. Mr. Emerson would take the 
same train for his appointment, and Mr. 
Gray intended to drive in a car to his church 
the next morning. 

Mr. Lansdown quietly told the pastor that 
he wished to walk home with him. Lucile 
saw him speak to the pastor and watched 
them go out together. She knew what it 
meant and involuntarily asked God to keep 
them from making a mistake. It was still on 
her mind when she went to her room. Sud- 
denly she said, almost aloud, “What is it to 
me? Why should I care about it? He is 
nothing to me.” Then she felt bound to 
admit to herself that he was more to her 
than she had ever acknowledged before. She 
hoped he would make no mistake. 

As soon as they were on the sidewalk, Mr. 


STRAIGHT TALK 


101 


Lansdown turned to the pastor and said: 
“This study of stewardship has broken up 
all my plans for my life. I am brought face 
to face with the investment of myself for the 
glory of my Savior and the uplift of human- 
ity. The result is that I have consecrated 
myself to the ministry and I wanted to talk 
with you about beginning the work.” 

“This is not altogether a surprise,” said 
the pastor, “and I rejoice more than I can 
tell you. Have you definitely decided it, is 
it settled?” 

“Settled absolutely.” 

“When do you want to begin preaching?” 

“At once. And I intend to give myself 
wholly to it when school closes, six weeks 
from now.” 

“Well, I shall be glad to have you occupy 
my pulpit tomorrow evening if you wish to 
begin at once.” 

“Very well ; I will do the best I can. You 
may announce it in the morning, if you wish, 
I will make the best preparation I can hoping 
that God will give me success.” 

“I will announce it in the morning paper. 
In the meantime my wife and I will earnest- 
ly pray for you that God may give you pow- 
er, not only for your first sermon but during 
a long, useful ministry.” 

“Please pray for that, tonight. I shall 
very greatly appreciate it.” 

They talked until they reached the pastor’s 
home. Then grasping each other’s hands 
they said, “Goodnight,” feeling that they 
were brothers in spirit and partners in the 
greatest of all human enterprises. 

The pastor turned into his house to find 


102 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


his wife still in the library. She had re- 
ceived a special delivery letter from the pul- 
pit committee in Aberdeen expressing their 
keen disappointment because he could not 
be with them on the following Sunday. They 
had asked Dr. Adams to fill the pulpit, but 
they earnestly urged him to visit the church 
the next Sunday. In closing the letter they 
said that if he could not visit them a com- 
mittee from the church would go to confer 
with him if there was any probability that 
he would consider a call from their church. 
They further stated that they would furnish 
the pastor a good home, water, light, fuel, a 
car and give him a month’s vacation each 
year. They stated the salary they had paid 
the preceding pastor, who had resigned to 
accept the presidency of a college, and it was 
almost twice as much as Plattsville was pay- 
ing. 

She handed him the letter and said : “That 
was delivered just a few minutes ago. Read 
it and tell me what you think.” 

He read it carefully and laid it on the 
table. “I cannot go. I love these people and 
cannot break our relationship now. There 
are some things which are worth more than 
money to a man who tries to be a real pas- 
tor.” 

“I knew that would be your decision. You 
are right, too. God will take care of us if 
we do His will and surrender ourselves to 
His care and guidance.” 

“He has always done so and I believe He 
will continue. The only concern I have is 
about my own obedience to Him. We have 
suffered some financially, but it was my 


STRAIGHT TALK 


108 


fault, not His. I will write them Mon- 
day, thanking them, but declining to go. 
Were you disappointed when you first 
thought what my decision would be?” 

“Not at all. I would have been disappoint- 
ed if you had decided otherwise. Our duty 
is to stay here.” 

“I have some news for you.” 

“What is it? Are some of our friends go- 
ing to get married ?” 

“No; but one of them is going into the 
ministry.” 

“Who?” 

“Mr. Lansdown. He has fought the battle 
of consecration through and will go to 
preaching at once, giving himself wholly to 
it as soon as school closes,” 

“Just like him. He is a man of the quick- 
est decision I ever knew and yet he appears 
to be deliberate enough. My prediction is 
that he will be one of the most useful min- 
isters in this state almost from the first. He 
is a born leader of men. I am so glad his 
life is to be given to the cause of Christ. 
When will he preach his first sermon ?” 

“Tomorrow evening. I will announce it 
tomorrow in the morning paper.” 

“This is news, indeed. But it is just his 
way of doing things. He will decide a mat- 
ter and have it done before most men would 
know what they wanted. I have studied him 
carefully ever since he came to Plattsville 
and I am sure that he is an extraordinary 
man in many ways. His power over people 
and his executive ability are simply wonder- 
ful to me.” 

“I hope you are correct in your estimate 


104 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


of him. I shall help him all I can to get 
started right and have no doubt that he will 
succeed. With all his native power and abil- 
ity he is perfectly candid and straightfor- 
ward with no pretense about him whatever. 
Everybody trusts him and strangers feel at 
home with him at once. I hope he will preach 
well tomorrow evening.” 

Mr. Lansdown went to his room, selected 
a text, prepared the analysis of his sermon, 
arranged all its parts in the order his judg- 
ment approved, bowed his head reverently 
over it and asked God to help him in its de- 
livery. He then went to bed and was almost 
immediately asleep. 


CHAPTER VII. 


A REMARKABLY GIFTED MAN SURRENDERS. 

When the people read The Plattsville 
Morning News they were surprised at the an- 
nouncement that Mr. Stewart Lansdown had 
declined re-election as superintendent of city 
schools and that he would immediately enter 
the ministry, preaching his first sermon that 
evening in Mr. Ellsworth’s pulpit. The ed- 
itorial page contained a brief sketch of his 
life, his career in college and Harvard Uni- 
versity, his success as a teacher and super- 
intendent closing with a statement of per- 
sonal appreciation by the editor who pre- 
dicted that he would, at once, take high rank 
among the ministers of the state. 

People all over the little city discussed the 
decision. Some said it was a pity that such 
a capable, gifted man should be a preacher. 
Others thought he had made too great a sac- 
rifice for a young man. It was generally 
agreed that he had done what he conscien- 
iously believed was right. Many who did 
not often attend church said they were going 
to hear his first sermon. 

He waked early and went over his sermon 
mentally, point by point, before rising, as- 
suring himself of every argument, illustrat- 
ion and scripture proof. As his mind drew 
near the close of the sermon and the sweep 
of the whole message gripped him, he was 
filled with an overwhelming desire to deliver 


106 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


it to the hearts of the people so as to power- 
fully influence their lives for the service of 
God. He lost all fear of failing, in his long- 
ing to make an eifective appeal and to help 
every one who would hear him. A new, pow- 
erful life-purpose took possession of his 
whole being. It seemed as if the Almighty 
administered the oath of a high office to him 
and laid upon him the sacred obligation of 
performing its duties. 

He was flve minutes late, on purpose, for 
his class of young men in the Bible school, 
because he did not wish to discuss his new 
decision with them. After cordial greeting.? 
the lesson was taken up and explained step 
by step in a simple, clear way which made 
the setting of events recorded stand out be- 
fore the mind almost as real as life. The 
teaching of the passage was explained and 
shown to be most wholesome in all its appli- 
cations to every-day affairs. When the les- 
son was flnished he quietly told them that 
he would appreciate their presence at the 
evening service more than he could express. 
He announced, also, that should invitations 
come to him to preach, he would not be pres- 
ent with them any more in the Bible school 
and that he would ask the superintendent to 
appoint an assistant teacher for the class. 

The pastor brought an unusually good 
message that morning. It was on the Inter- 
cession of Christ and Romans 8:34 was the 
text. Great emphasis was laid on four facts : 
1. Christ died to redeem those who trust in 
him. 2. Christ was raised from the dead and 
is a living Savior for those who call upon 
Him. 3. Christ is on the right hand of God 


A aiFTBD MAN SURRENDERS 


107 


representing believers. 4. Christ intercedes 
with an availing intercession for those who 
commit themselves to him. The closing ap- 
peal was pathetic, inspiring and powerful. 
The pastor asked for all those who had trust- 
ed in Christ as their Savior and had never 
before confessed their faith to come and give 
him their hands. He said those who desired 
to join the church might remain at the front 
seat. Four of the young men from Mr. 
Lansdown’s class went forward at once. 
Some girls went forward. About the center 
of the audience was the proprietor of the 
largest store in the city. He was deeply 
moved but hesitated. Lucile stood behind 
him and saw his emotion. She felt impelled 
to speak to him and yielded to the impulse. 
Quietly leaning forward she said simply: 
“Mr. Koundtree, you can accept that invita- 
tion. Such a Savior deserves your confidence 
and service Will you not surrender your 
soul to Him and take your stand on his side?” 

“I will,” said the merchant, and stepped 
out into the aisle and went forward. His 
going made a profound impression and ij: 
was deepened when he remained to join the 
church. Ten confessed their faith in Christ 
and seven asked for membership in the 
church. There were many who resolved to 
be better Christians and a spirit of revival 
permeated the entire audience. 

The pastor announced that Mr. Lansdown 
would fill the pulpit at the evening hour and 
suggested that those who wanted seats would 
better come early. The people lingered after 
the benediction and there was a spontaneous 
spirit of gladness and sociability everywhere. 


108 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


All felt that a new day had indeed come to 
the church and that it had come to stay. 

When Mr. Lansdown arrived at the church 
he saw that it was crowded, so he went, at 
once, into the pastor’s study and found Mr. 
Ellsworth waiting for him. It was arranged 
that the pastor would conduct all the prelim- 
inary part of the service, leaving only the 
sermon to Mr. Lansdown. When they went 
to the pulpit they saw that every inch of 
standing room had been taken and were im- 
pressed with the seriousness of the crowd. 
They had expected a good deal of curiosity 
among the people, but it was absent to a 
gratifying extent and it required no effort 
to realize that they were in a genuinely re- 
ligious service. It was apparent that the 
people felt that a young man of unusual abil- 
ity was turning aside from all worldly pros- 
pects to devote himsef to the service of God 
and they profoundly respected him for the 
choice he had made. 

The choir was at its best and the hymns 
were caught up by the great audience. 
Everyone was subdued in heart and fitted by 
the music for real worship. The entire pre- 
liminary service was adapted to making a 
psychological condition favorable for the 
preacher. 

After a few well-chosen, appreciative 
words of introduction by the pastor, Mr. 
Lansdown announced his text, “Ye are not 
your own for ye are bought with a price, 
therefore glorify God in your body and in 
your spirit which are His.” I Cor. 6:19,20. 

He discussed : 1. Christ’s ownership of be- 
lievers. 2. The price which was paid for the 


A GIFTED MAN SURRENDERS 


109 


redemption of believers. 3. The obligations 
of Christian service. 

It was a remarkable sermon from the first 
sentence. In a brief time people forgot that 
they had come to hear a young man deliver 
his first discourse The proprietorship of the 
Son of God was set forth so clearly, so forci- 
bly and with such apparent love for Him, 
that no one could fail to see why the speaker 
had surrendered his life to do Christ’s will. 
The condescension of Christ and the sacri- 
fice He made were set forth in language so 
truly eloquent and pathetic that every heart 
was moved to its depths. Men shed tears who 
were not accustomed to attend church and 
some who were looked upon as “hardened” 
were deeply stirred. When the preaher came 
to his appeal for all present to glorify God 
with their bodies and their spirits his whole 
soul was aflame with persuasive passion. No 
one present can ever forget that hour or be 
the same as before. He did not appear to 
be the least fanatical but his earnestness was 
overpowering. 

When the sermon was concluded the pas- 
tor extended an invitation similar to the one 
given in the morning and fifteen persons, 
including two of the teachers in the High 
School, confessed Christ as their Savior and 
ten joined the church. The editor of the 
Morning News was converted and came out 
publicly on the Lord’s side. He had always 
been an earnest advocate of education and 
had become Mr. Lansdown’s warm personal 
friend and supporter in every move to make 
the schools better. He keenly regretted the 
superintendent’s decision to enter the min- 


110 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


istry and yielded the consent of his heart 
only under the power of the sermon. When 
he inwardly consented for his friend to 
preach, he resolved that he, himself would 
surrender to Christ and henceforth live the 
Christian life. 

After the service closed many pressed 
forward to congratulate the speaker and 
wish him success in his life-work. To him it 
did not appear to be so much a life-work as 
a sacred office to be administered according 
to God’s will. 

When Lucile went forward to congratulate 
him there was something in his manner 
which made her know that he wished to talk 
further with her about the sermon and so 
she lingered in the church until he could get 
away from the crowd. The pastor and his 
wife went last to give him their hands and 
express their appreciation. The pastor did 
not say much, but each felt that the other 
was a kindred soul, a genuine partner, a real 
spiritual friend and brother who understood 
their relation in their holy calling. The pas- 
tor’s wife said : “I am not surprised, at all. 
I pray that God will give you continual suc- 
cess and I believe that He will. I know He 
will if you live in the spirit of the sermon 
you gave us this evening.” 

He joined Lucile and told her that he 
wished to walk home with her. When they 
had left the church he said : “I do not believe 
I made a mistake when I decided to go into 
the ministry. But you know, of course, that 
ever3rthing was in my favor this evening. It 
would be impossible for any man to prepare 
an audience better than the pastor did. He 


A GIFTED MAN SURRENDERS 


111 


is a great soul and I regret that I am not to 
be under his ministry. Did I show proper 
humility and sincerity? Do you think they 
will be better from hearing me? I was so 
anxious to know if I was really doing good 
and working so as to get real results, that I 
just had to have your opinion. You are hon- 
est and faithfulh' frank in the expression 
of what you think.” 

“I do not see how any one could help but 
be made better by your sermon this evening 
You were perfectly natural in your manner 
and delivery, surprisingly so, I think. It’s 
clear that you did not make any mistake and 
and I have come to agree with you that you 
ought to enter the ministry at once.” 

When they reached the McGregor home, 
Mr. Lansdown said that he had spent the 
greatest, happiest day of his life and that 
he felt sure God had led him into the path of 
duty. He proposed to devote his whole time 
to his chosen office and hoped he would suc- 
ceed. 

“You have done well, remarkably well, at 
the beginning,” replied Lucile. “I hope and 
shall pray for your success.” 

“Please do. Good-night.” 

“Good-night.” 

The Morning News contained a steno- 
graphic report of the sermon in full done 
by an expert court reporter who had been 
employed by the editor. Mr. Lansdown was 
surprised to see it and read it with much 
interest. He was gratified that he was re- 
ported so accurately and hoped that it would 
be read all over the city for he believed it 


112 


THK DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


would do good and lead people to deeper con- 
secration. 

He was not disappointed, for his 'phone 
rang many times during the day and people 
who were not at church thanked him for his 
message. The editor 'phoned him in the 
evening to say that many people had called 
him to thank him for printing the sermon in 
full. 

The beginning of his ministry was all that 
he could desire and much more than he had 
hoped. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


WINNING A CHURCH WITH THE TRUTH. 

At the usual hour Monday evening the li- 
brary and parlor of the McGregor home was 
filled again to study stewardship. There was 
gloom, though over the little group for 
word had been received that Mr. Folsom had 
suffered a stroke of paralysis in the after- 
noon. The doctor said the end was near and 
all were sad, for he was a good man, loved 
and honored by all who knew him. He 
had attended all their meetings since Tues- 
day evening, taking the greatest interest in 
every argument and expressing the greatest 
concern for the spread of the gospel and the 
welfare of the churches. They would never 
forget his regretful words as he exhorted 
Mr. Gray to do his duty in teaching tithing 
and stewardship to the people. 

Mr. McGregor said that he supposed their 
main purpose that evening was to study how 
to get people to practice tithing. He con- 
sidered that very important, for no plan, 
however good, will work itself. There are 
no perpetual motions in either business or 
religion. Everything which succeeds must 
be intelligently and earnestly pushed. With- 
out following a scriptural plan religious 
work cannot succeed, and even with such 
a plan, success is impossible without perse- 
vering efforts. 

Mr. Ellsworth said that before they took 


114 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


up the discussion of how to introduce and 
promote tithing in a church he wished to ask 
some questions: 

“Do we all agree that God is the absolute 
owner of ourselves, our time and our prop- 
erty?” 

No one gave a negative answer and there 
was evidently unanimous agreement. 

“Do any of you deny that God requires the 
entire financial support of those who min- 
ister His word?” 

Again there was unanimous agreement. 

“Is duty to God prescribed by Him in the 
Bible, or is it left to be determined accord- 
ing to the notions, emotions, whims and 
prejudices of men?” 

Dr. Adams replied, “All of my religious be- 
lief is founded on the right and authority 
of God to command and on man’s duty to 
immediately obey. I believe that the Bible 
is a book of divine law and not simply ad- 
vice, and I believe it sets forth the wholq 
religious duty of mankind; not believers 
only, but all men and women on the earth, 
of every generation. Take this away from 
me and all is gone. I do not believe that 
such an important matter as stewardship, 
on which all real progress depends, was left 
to the notions or fancies of men. I believe 
proper stewardship is a holy and binding 
obligation on all. Treating stewardship 
lightly has, I think, been one of the greatest 
sins of Christian people, and a reformation 
of all the churches on this one point is abso- 
lutely necessary, if the Great Commission 
is ever to be obeyed. Haphazard and neg- 
lect, ‘begging’ on the part of preachers and 


WINNING A CHURCH 


116 


'donating’ on the part of the people will 
never fill the world with the gospel. It is 
not God’s way. It dishonors God, divorces 
business and religion, treats the ministers 
of God as a sort of mendicants and makes 
the support of his cause a charity. This is 
wrong and must be changed into harmony 
with God’s revealed will if religion is to 
succeed according to the program of Christ.” 

No one controverted what he said. In fact 
he spoke so earnestly, and with such con- 
viction, that every statement appeared to 
be axiomatic. 

“That the Bible in both the Old Testament 
and the New, teaches giving in proportion 
to God’s financial blessings, is beyond dis- 
pute,” continued Mr. Ellsworth. Now the 
great task before those who believe this 
truth is one of enlistment, getting the larg- 
est possible per cent of the people to practice 
proportionate giving. Stewardship has not 
been abrogated neither has God changed His 
mind concerning the proportion of income 
which ought to be given to support teachers 
of His truth. He has not concluded that He 
was oppressive when He required the tenth 
nor that He required too small a proportion. 
God’s law is not changed. As Dr. H. L. Win- 
burn, of Louisville, Ky., wrote, ‘Until heaven 
shall fade as an autumn leaf and lichens 
shall cover with decay the throne of a Cre- 
ator who once held loving reins of Provi- 
dence over the immortal sons of His creative 
genius, and all the universe is black with 
death and sicklied over with the pale cast 
of blighted spiritual prospects, this law of 
tithing will not fail and cannot be abro- 


116 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


gated, because it grows out of the nature 
of the God who reigns and the men who love 
His lordship.’ — Man and His Money, p. 60. 
Giving according to man’s will can never 
create a tender conscience on the question 
of stewardship ; because, conscience is active 
only when there is recognition of a higher 
authority. Without such a conscience on 
stewardship the Great Commission will 
never be obeyed. If, therefore, this world 
is ever won for Christ, people must be taught 
to give according to God’s will, not their 
own, and that not to do so is to do wrong 
and commit sin against God for which He, 
not the church, will hold them to account. 
They must honor God, not ‘donate’ to His 
cause or give to His servants in the spirit 
they would give a tip to a waiter, or a porter. 
One of the most revolting things in the world 
to a sensitive person, who devoutly honors 
God and loves His cause, is to see the atti- 
tude towards Him which wrong teaching has 
produced in millions of people. The call to 
the church is just as great to finance a world 
wide conquest by the gospel as it is to pro- 
claim the gospel. There is absolutely no 
diiference. It is just as great a sin to neg- 
lect one as the other. If we can possibly 
find out practicable ways to enlist men and 
women to give acording to God’s will we 
ought to do so, and then go to enlisting 
them.” , 

“You are right, pastor,” said Judge West. 
“The practice of religion is better than anv 
amount of knowledge of it, or any degree 
of assent to it.” , 

“Well, then,” replied the pastor, “I shall 


WINNING A CHURCH 


117 


begin at home. I have been practicing tith- 
ing ever since last Tuesday evening. My 
wife and I put aside a tenth of the four 
months’ salary you paid. We have had the 
joy of giving the treasurer of our church 
the largest check for missions we ever gave 
in our lives. We have made other gifts, 
too, which have made us very happy. Never 
in my life have I, a preacher, been such a 
cheerful giver as now.” 

“I do not like the word give,” said Mr. 
Borden. “It seems to me that it should be, 
pay. We simply pay God what we owe 
Him.” 

“That is immaterial,” said Dr. Adams. 
“Both words are used in the Bible. The 
idea in the word, give, is ‘to deliver over,’ 
not ‘to donate.’ We deliver over to God’s 
servant that proportion which God requires. 
If we use the word, give, in that sense, as 
the Bible does, we speak correctly.” 

Just then a messenger boy knocked at the 
door. He had a telegram for Mr. McGregor. 
When he had signed for it, and read it, he 
said, “I have some good news for all of us. 
‘Mission Board closed year with greatest 
results ever. No debt. First time in ten 
years. Impetus given by Plattsville helped 
greatly to gain victory. — Horace Everett.’ 
There was a chorus of “Good!” The pastor 
was especially delighted with the news. 

They wired hearty congratulations. 

Mr. Emerson said that tithing might pos- 
sibly be right, but he did not believe it 
practicable in a dispensation of liberty 
where the only compelling power is per- 
suasion. 


118 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


“Well,” said Judge West, “the only com- 
pelling power which enforces Christian obli- 
gation in general is persuasion backed by 
the authority of God. Are those obligations 
any the less binding because they are not 
enforced by an officer of the law, or by 
church trial, conviction and expulsion? 

Mr. Emerson did not feel inclined to 
dispute the point with Judge West, and, be- 
sides, the Judge's question seemed to admit 
of but one answer. So he replied, ‘“No, I 
suppose not.’ 

“Then,” said the Judge, “we should not 
shrink from this obligation and duty any 
more than from the others. On each one, 
personally, rests the obligation regardless of 
what any or all others may do.” 

“You are right, on that point,” said John 
Mooreland, one man with God is a majority. 
No church ever gets right all at once. One 
has to begin, then another and another gets 
right until the whole membership is reached 
and changed.” 

“Well,” said Mr. Emerson, it seems that 
I am the only one here who is not fully in 
harmony with this view. I wish the rest 
of you well in your efforts. But I have never 
kept any account of my giving or its relation 
to my income. I have preached to the people 
that they should give as they felt like giving 
and I shall, I suppose, continue to do so. 
It seems to me that the Spirit has more 
freedom to guide men when they are not 
bound up by rules or plans.” 

“That was exactly my husband’s position,” 
said Mrs. Ashmore, “and it caused me and 
the children to go to the field and work 


WINNING A CHURCH 


119 


to support ourselves when the churches he 
served were well able to pay him a living. 
He was a good man, always faithful, but he 
never developed one strong church in his 
whole ministry. About a year before he 
died, I saw, from reading the Bible, what 
the trouble was but it was too late. His 
health was broken and he did not preach 
many times after that, but we often talked 
about it and I know he fully agreed with me. 
The same course was pursued by old Broth- 
er Folsom who is now at the point of death. 
We heard his regretful confession the other 
evening that he had never built up one 
church that was solid and strong and de- 
pendable financially. If I were a preacher 
I would certainly ‘compact together’ as Paul 
wrote to the Ephesians, every church of 
which I was pastor and not merely gather 
a crowd who had no plans by which they 
could ever become a real organization.” 

“I have not said much during these dis- 
cussions,” said Joseph Page, “but I have done 
a good deal of genuine repentinv. T trust. I 
never saw the sin of lightly regarding the 
pastoral relation and the support of the min- 
istry until Mr. McGregor delivered to me 
that rebuke last Monday evening. He was 
right. It seems to me that for fifteen years, 
I have been the chief hindrance to this 
church. It would do no good, now, to go 
into particulars, but I see that all along I 
have done harm and been a disorganizing 
infiuence. I resolved, last night, while Mr. 
Lansdown was preaching, that I will be a 
proportionate giver while I live and that my 
life and influence shall henceforth be con- 


120 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


structive. As treasurer of this church it shall 
be a pleasure to me, at any time, to adopt 
any plan that may be thought best for keep- 
ing the books, or help in any way to put 
system and order into our church business. 
Religion is not a little thing. It is the only 
hope for the world. The churches must be 
made strong and efficient. Just tell me how 
I can help in any way, and I am gladly at 
your service.” 

Byron M. Stanley, the church secretary, 
said, “I, too, have been a listener in these 
meetings; but they have convinced me to 
the extent that yesterday morning I read 
again and resolved to do what Paul wrote 
the Corinthians, ‘Upon the first day of the 
week let every one of you lay by him in 
store as God has prospered him, that there 
be no gatherings when I come.’ 1 Cor. 16 :2. 
That language was perfectly clear when I 
let it say to me just what it does say. The 
first day of the week is the Christian Sab- 
bath, the day on which we worship God 
through His Son, who was raised from the 
dead on that day. So giving is a sacred duty, 
an essential part of worship, and therefore 
the amount for God’s teacher is set aside 
while we worship or are preparing our 
hearts for worship. Paul says, ‘every one 
of you,’ teaching that the duty to give is just 
as binding on each one as the duty to wor- 
ship. Now we all know that the financial 
plans generally used do not reach all the 
members of any church. They reach only 
a fraction of the membership. Teaching 
personal obligation to God to give a tenth 
of each dollar of income will reach all 


WINNING A CHURCH 


121 


those who have an income either large or 
small, if it is done persistently and faith- 
fully. So, I dedicated a tenth of my income 
to God last Sunday morning and propose to 
give it while I live. Anything I can do to- 
wards preparing lists of names, getting ad- 
dresses of members, or anything else, just 
call on me and it will be a great pleasure 
to help.” 

“I am afraid that if this matter is not 
gone about very wisely and patiently it will 
cause factions in our churches,” said Mr. 
Jamison. “We must guard against causing 
a faction. People must be informed and en- 
listed. Then they will gladly do their duty.” 

“For this reason,” replied the pastor, “I 
very earnestly desire that you will all pray 
for me, often, that I may lead this church 
so that all will walk together in whatever 
we undertake. I have known churches to be 
seriously divided by the unwise handling of 
good measures. We must do this great 
thing in our church but we must not cause 
unnecessary friction or opposition.” 

“The best way in my judgment,” said Mr. 
Gates, “is to bring the matter up in the busi- 
ness meeting and have the church adopt 
tithing as the financial plan of the church.” 

“Excuse me,” suggested Lucile, “if I insist 
that the duty to give a tenth ought not to 
be laid on the church, but on each member 
personally and individually. Get the mem- 
bers, one by one, to study it for themselves. 
It will take more time but it will be better. 
In fact, all giving, like worship, is a personal 
matter. 

“I am sure you are right,” the pastor said. 


122 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


“and that the voluntary principle must be 
carefully guarded. People should give the 
tenth from the right motive and under- 
standing. This is really as important as the 
giving.” 

David Gray said, “In politics organization 
is very important. It might be best to make 
up an organization that would create and 
make permanent this sentiment in the 
church. I am a new member, but I offer 
this suggestion.” 

“It seems to me,” said Mr. McGregor, 
“that we have the organization already. 
The pastor can preach it and the Board 
of Deacons can be the educational and en- 
listment organization. This Board can use 
the Brotherhood and the women’s organi- 
zations. We can reach the young people 
through their societies. Mr. Gray’s suggest- 
ion is good, but we already have the most 
perfect organization for this very purposd 
that could be devised.” 

“I have known of ‘Tithing Bands,’ said the 
pastor, “and have studied them. 'The inevi- 
table tendency is to create a faction, when 
such a band is organized and pushed as 
vigorously as the matter must be to influence 
the whole church. The band is something 
apart from the rest of the church. Steward- 
ship is equally binding upon all and should 
be so taught and promoted that no one 
could feel excused. 'The effort must be con- 
tinuous, because there will be relapses in 
stewardship the same as there is spriitual 
backsliding. When members come into the 
church they should understand the attitude 
of the church on the question of steward- 


WINNING A CHURCH 


123 


ship and be told frankly that they will be 
expected to contribute regularly some pro- 
portion of their income.” 

“I think that is right,” said Charley Mc- 
Gregor. “A person ought to begin the 
Christian life right. If he does not begin 
right when he becomes a Christian, then 
he ought to begin each new church relation 
right. There is no better time to emphasize 
the duties of stewardship than then.” 

“I will be glad to pay for printing 1000 
leaflets setting forth briefly the teaching 
of the Bible on stewardship, for the pastor 
to use with new members,” said Judge West. 

“Thank you,” said the pastor. “I will 
write the tract tomorrow and have it print- 
ed at once.” 

“It would be well to get a supply of the 
very best pamphlets and books on the sub- 
ject and carry on a continuous campaign of 
education,” suggested Mr. Lansdown. “Peo- 
ple are what their information makes them. 
There is no use to undertake as great and 
important work as this unless it is to be 
pushed right along with spirituality and 
Christian living. It is a necessary part of 
Christian culture. Without it efficient church 
membership is impossible. With this work 
properly done, in all the churches, no power 
on earth could prevent the rapid spread of 
Christianity among all the nations.” 

“Let us settle it then that we will make 
this campaign of education perpetual,” said 
Mr. McGregor, “and that providing needed 
literature on stewardship will be one of the 
regular things chargeable to our current ex- 
pense acount.” 


124 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


“I think,” said William Hardy, “that it 
would be well to get a list of proportionate 
givers, so that we can tell at any time just 
how many and who are giving proportion- 
ately,” 

“If there is no objection,” said Mr. Page, 
“I, as treasurer, will keep such a list in my 
Treasurer’s Book. I think also that it could 
do no harm, when I make my reports to the 
monthly business meetings from now on, 
to announce each month the number of pro- 
portionate givers, and the per cent of the 
total income of the church that is given by 
them.” 

“That is right, and will do much towards 
bringing the whole church to proportionate 
giving at an early date,” said Dr. Adams. 

“What else?” asked Mr. McGregor. 

There was silence for a full minute. Then 
Mr. Borden asked if they thought they 
should come to a conclusion, at that time 
concerning the disbursement of money. 

“Yes,” said Mr. McGregor, “while we are 
at this business let’s finish it. We have a 
plan of enlistment which will undoubtedly 
succeed to the extent that our church is 
composed of obedient, God fearing people. 
Now, let us provide for the religious expen- 
diture of what God enables us to put into 
His treasury.” 

“I have, I think, worked that out,” said 
the pastor. “It will be easy enough to dis- 
pose of the money. My plan is to follow the 
Bible order. In the New Testament we find 
that Jesus and the apostles preached the 
gospel, taught the people, healed the sick 
and ministered to the poor. These four de- 


WINNING A CHURCH 


125 


partments claim our attention. Under the 
first is pastor’s salary, the incidental ex- 
penses of the church and missions of every 
character. Under the second we may put 
Christian education of all kinds and in all our 
institutions. Under the third head we may 
put all benevolent work including the poor 
fund, aged ministers relief, our hospitals and 
the Orphans Home. We will be able to tak^ 
care of nearly all of the items under these 
three general heads. 

“Of course, all the members may designate 
their gifts to each object as seems best to 
them ; the deacons can disburse undesignated 
funds as necessities may demand. At the 
monthly business meeting partial adjust- 
ment can be made and at the annual busi- 
ness meeting the rest may be adjusted.” 

“Our pastor is developing into a good 
business man,” exclaimed Mr. McGregor. 
“I predict that the business troubles of this 
church are at an end and that our financial 
reports from now on will fill us with joy and 
satisfaction instead of humiliation and dis- 
couragement. Is there anything else?” 

No one had anything else to suggest. “I 
want to extend to all of you an invitation 
to meet here one year from this evening,” 
said Mr. McGregor. “We will have a simple 
dinner, and afterwards we will tell how we 
have gotten along with proportionate giving. 
It will be a kind of an annual meeting of this 
number of religious stewards, oi directors, 
and we can then see whether or not tithing 
pays personally and for the Kingdom.” 
They all said they would be present if living 
and not hindered by providence. 

“Before we go,” said Miss Morrison, “I 


126 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


wish to express my pleasure Tor the op- 
portunity I have had to meet all of you. I 
had no idea my visit was to be so profitable. 
My father has been giving a tenth twelve 
years, but I never studied the question before 
as we have here. It has been extremely in- 
teresting to me. I was sorry for a while 
when I saw that we, in Aberdeen, were not 
going to get Mr. Ellsworth for our pastor, 
but I have become convinced that he ought 
to remain here. I will now confess that one 
object of my visit at this time was to find out 
about him and report to my father who is 
chairman of the pulpit committee at home. 
I do not feel as mean about it as you, per- 
haps think I should, because the way you 
were treating him, he ought to have gone to 
another church. But we will have to look 
elsewhere for a pastor. I rjoice almost as 
much, I think, over the turn things have 
taken, which clearly makes it his duty to re- 
main here, as I could were I a member of 
this church. I shall return home tomorrow 
and will always remember this as the most 
profitable week of all my Christian life thus 
far.” 

All of them expressed to her their appreci- 
ation of her acquaintance and also the hope 
that the Firs+ Church of Aberdeen would 
secure a pastor who would lead them to do 
great things for the Master. 

A vote of thanks was given Mr. and Mrs. 
McGregor for the privilege of meeting in 
their home for the study that had been car- 
ried on for the week. 

They stood and Dr. Adams led them in 
prayer. He thanked God for the privilege 
of service as well as worship, and besought 


WINNING A CHURCH 


127 


divine leadership in doing what they were 
led to believe was God’s will. He prayed 
for the aged, stricken Mr. Folsom, honored 
by every one for his devoted, godly, faithful 
life. He prayed that God would lead the 
church, in Aberdeen, to get the right man 
for pastor and that great blessings might 
result from such relation through many 
years. He invoked God’s blessings and guid- 
ance for the young business men in the 
church, and city, to the end that they might 
be stalwart men in the Kingdom of God. 
He prayed for the young man who had given 
himself to the ministry, that God would 
make him, at once, a great power for the 
advancement of the Redeemer’s Kingdom. 
Then he asked the Father to spare their 
lives and enable them to come back, one 
year hence, in good health; each one with a 
good report of the work accomplished and 
God’s gracious dealings. He asked all “in 
Jesus’ precious name. Amen.” 


CHAPTER IX 


SUPREMELY IMPORTANT EVENTS RAPIDLY 
TRANSPIRE. 

It had been arranged that David Gray 
would take Miss Morrison home in his car 
and that Mr, Lansdown and Lucile would 
make the trip with them. Aberdeen was 
only forty miles from Plattsville, and since 
one of the best roads in the state connected 
them, the drive would be delightful. They 
were to start at four in the afternoon as 
Mr. Lansdown would be in school until 
three. 

It was a typical spring morning for that 
climate. The sun came up clear, but soon 
went behind a bank of clouds. By ten 
o’clock showers were falling. The whole 
morning, in fact, was interspersed with 
showers and sunshine, while the ai rwas clear 
and soft, making one feel to the full extent 
the exhiliarating influence of spring. About 
two o’clock the hardest shower of all came 
and then the clouds gathered in banks in 
the southwest and west, 

Mr. Gray arrived first. Miss Morrison 
told Mrs. McGregor, good bye, thanking her 
profusely for the good time she had had and 
promising to come back again. She was 
ready to get in the car when Mr. Lansdown 
drove up. Soon they were gone but Mr. 
Gray, that time, got in the lead. He and 
Miss Morrison were out of sight in a few 
minutes. The afternoon was ideal. Nature 


IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRE 129 


seemed to be at her very best, dressed in all 
the glory and beauty with which the hand 
of God clothes the world when He makes it 
new by the rising tides of life. Birds were 
singing in the trees everywhere, cows were 
nipping the tender grass in the meadows, 
flowers were peeping forth and beautifying 
every hillside and every level stretch of land. 
On Mr. Lansdown and Lucile drove, talking 
of life and beauty and the privilege of living 
in such a glorious world. 

At length they came to the highest point 
between Plattsville and Aberdeen. It over- 
looked the river valley, down which they 
could see for miles. On the other side of 
the river were hills and valleys, farms and 
houses plainly visible in the clear atmos- 
phere of that perfect day. Down the valley, 
to their left, about two miles away, they 
could see the spire of a large country church 
as it rose among the trees. The sun was 
painting the western clouds in gorgeous hues 
and throwing subdued reflections of color 
over the earth and sky. The scene was 
overpowering 

Mr. Lansdown stopped the car on the crest 
of the ridge and they drank in the wonderful 
beauty all around and above them. They 
talked about the grandeur of it all for a few 
minutes and then were silent. 

Suddenly he said, “I dedicate my life anew 
to the servise of the great God who made 
all this and I want you to be with me in 
my life work, sharing whatever blessings 
may come to me. Please promise me, in 
what is undoubtedly the most beautiful place 
on all the earth and at a fitting hour for 
such a pledge.” 


130 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


She was completely surprised and hesi- 
tated for a moment. In fact, she was in a 
reverie and hardly realized that she was 
sitting in a car with the handsome young 
man beside her. She almost had to bring 
herself back from the clouds and distant 
valleys to hear him. 

But her hesitation was only for a moment. 
Looking straight into his fine face she said, 
“I will do the best I can, and I hope you will 
be happy as I try to make you a good wife.” 

“Thank you,” he said, “from the depth of 
my heart for a prompt answer. Had you 
made me wait, I should have felt that you 
did not altogether believe me to be the man 
to whom you could give your whole heart.” 

“You have never given me any good reason 
to believe that you loved me well enough 
to propose, but I thought you did, and set- 
tled in my own mind the answer I would 
give. You are a man with such decision of 
character that I should feel myself utterly 
unworthy of you if I did not have some de- 
cision myself, enough to answer on this su- 
preme earthly matter.” 

“It is unusual for a man to wait until after 
he proposes and is accepted to tell a girl 
how much he loves her, but I have really not 
had an oportunity, since I fell so desperately 
in love with you. It was the other night 
when all my life plans went into wreck and 
a new plan was formed. It was the night 
I asked you about my being a minister. 
When every earthly ambition I had was sur- 
rendered and my life was made new in all 
its purposes. I just felt that without 
you I could not get along at all. I knew that 
you were not the one to ask for counsel 


IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRE 131 


about preaching, but I realized that night 
that I loved you more than all else on earth, 
that you were a part of myself, that I was 
not then and never could be what I ought 
to be without you. I had to speak to you, 
that night, and get some word of approval. 
When you gave it my heart was satisfied and 
you have been in every plan and thought 
since then. It seems to me that I have 
known you as long as I have known myself, 
that you are inseparable from my very being 
and you make me unspeakably happy in con- 
senting to be my wife. It would be perfectly 
easy for me to say some very silly things 
right out of my heart, but neither of us 
would appreciate them. I will say this; to 
the greatest possible extent you will make 
me what I am to be. I can be ans^thing at- 
tainable for you, if I only know that you 
love me without any reserve. You are my 
darling, my life, my inspiration ; and, by the 
help of God, I will be worthy of you always.” 

“Perhaps it is because I am the only 
daughter of a well-to-do banker with indul- 
gent parents and a true, noble, affectionate 
brother, that I never really cared for any 
young man, beyond a sociable friendship. 
I started in that way with you a year ago. 
More and more I have admired you. But the 
other night when I saw you leave our library 
in company with Mr. Ellsworth, I realized 
that in my heart there was more for you 
than friendship. I went to my room and 
almost chided myself for my great concern 
that you should make no mistake about the 
ministry. Then, when I admitted to myself 
my love for you, there came, filling my heart, 
a love for you indescribable. And now I am 


132 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


to be yours and you are to be mine ! My only 
fear is that you will not be happy. I know 
that I shall be supremely so.” 

He drew her to him and kissed her fer- 
vently. And then he started the car on its 
way, knowing that their paths would be one 
from that hour. 

They talked of the scenes through which 
they were passing, of life-plans and high 
hopes. Soon they were going at his usual 
speed. When they reached the suburbs of 
Aberdeen they saw the other car only a few 
blocks ahead and caught up with it before 
they reached Miss Morrison’s home. It was 
five minutes to six o’clock when they arrived. 
They were surprised to see a number of 
men in the parlor as they passed into the 
hall. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison came to greet 
their daughter and Lucile. They were in- 
troduced to the two young men. Then two 
of Miss Morrison’s sisters and two brothers 
came down stairs and were introduced also 
to Mr. Gray and Mr. Lansdown, 

It was easy to see that the Morrisons were 
a happy family. The young people were 
happy to see their sister and they showed 
it in their beaming faces. 

The young ladies went, at once, to Miss 
Morrison’s room to get ready for dinner 
while the young men were taken into the 
parlor and introduced to four gentlemen and 
their wives, all of whom had been engaged 
in earnest conversation, 

“I will explain,” said Mr. Morrison, “that 
Esther wrote us about your coming and we 
concluded to have a dinner and invite some 
friends, so that you could get acquainted 
with them.” 


IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRE 133 


The young men said that it was a sur- 
prise to them, but a very pleasant surprise 
indeed. , 

In a few minutes dinner was announced 
and they had a pleasant time around the 
dining table. The ride had given them good 
appetites and they joked each other about 
it. They were overflowing with the beauties 
of the scenery through which they had 
passed. One of the gentlemen they met was 
a lawyer who knew several members of the 
bar in Plattsville. In fact, he had had for 
some years, a partnership connection with 
Judge Rosemond there. The judge had re- 
cently died and they had quite a lot of busi- 
ness which was to be looked after and this 
lawyer, Mr. Carter, said he expected to spend 
a good deal of time in Plattsville during the 
next year. When dinner was over the young 
ladies again went up stairs, the other ladies 
went into the sitting room and the gentle- 
men into the parlor. 

As soon as they were seated Mr. Morrison 
turned to Mr. Lansdown and said: “You 
may not know it, but I am chairman of the 
pulpit committee of our church. These four 
gentlemen are members of the committee. 
When we learned that you would be here 
this evening we agreed to meet you without 
letting you know anything about our plans. 
We received copies of the Plattsville paper 
yesterday and have all read your sermon. It 
seems to us remarkable that you should de- 
liver such a discourse at the beginning of 
your ministry. We met last night in Judge 
Carter’s office and agreed to invite you to 
supply our pulpit on Sundays until your 
school closes. We saw the announcement 


134 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


that you will then give yourself wholly to the 
ministry and we further agreed that if you 
are pleased with us and we with you, at the 
end of the five weeks we will recommend to 
the church that you be elected pastor. 

These gentlemen can tell you whether or 
not I state correctly what was done.” 

Mr. Lansdown was completely surprised. 
He could hardly believe his ears and eyes, 
or realize that he was facing a pulpit com- 
mittee that had submitted so concrete a 
proposition to him. He was dumfounded 
and did not reply at once. 

“To put the whole matter before you, we 
also agreed to pay your traveling expenses, 
provide for your entertainment at the hotel 
and pay you $25.00 a trip while you supply 
for us,” added Judge Carter. 

“Your offer is a complete surprise,” said 
Mr. Lansdown, “but I promised God that I 
would enter whatever door He might open to 
me, and since He has opened this one I can- 
not refuse and be true to myself or Him. I 
sincerely hope that if it is not His will 
for me to become pastor, or, if I would not 
be equal to the task, it may be perfectly 
clear to every member of the church before 
the time of my supplying shall have expired. 
You will understand that I shall be busy 
every moment until school closes and cannot 
give you as well thought-out sermons as I 
should wish. I hesitate even to try to sup- 
ply for you while I am so busy closing the 
school year.” 

“We understand your situation and are 
perfectly willing to take such sermons as 
you may give us. If you do half as well as 


IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRE 135 


you did last Sunday our people will be satis- 
fied.” 

It was agreed that he should drive over 
or come on the train Saturday afternoon and 
return early Monday morning. They were 
to take care of all the rest of the church 
work. 

As they had to drive back to Plattsville, 
forty miles, they left at nine o’clock. It was 
a beautiful night. The moon was full and 
its light was unusually bright, shining 
through the clear freshly washed air. The 
return trip was almost as grand as the one 
coming. There was more talking over life 
plans and counselling about mutual prob- 
lems until they reached home at half past 
eleven. With a new heart-relation formed, 
which gave each inexpressible joy, they said, 
“Good night,” realizing that they had spent 
what was for them the most important day 
of their lives. 

David Gray had a lonely drive, but prob- 
ably his time will come, if he can only es- 
tablish himself in his profession. 

The first Sunday Mr. Lansdown spent in 
Aberdeen settled in every member’s mind 
the conviction that he would be elected pas- 
tor when his period of supply was out. His 
morning sermon was well prepared," Tfee 
right of God to claim worship," was its 
theme. It is not my purpose to give its ar- 
guments or application. I will say, how- 
ever, that the impression it made was extra- 
ordinary. At the evening hour he preached 
on "Christ, the Only Hope,” to a congrega- 
tion which filled the house. At the conclu- 
sion of his sermon in the morning four 
joined the church and in the evening two 


136 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


young men confessed Christ as their Savior 
and they, with three others, joined the 
church. 

The day’s experience fixed the conviction, 
also, in his mind that he would be elected 
pastor. He told Lucile so and asked her to 
set the day of their marriage on Thursday 
following the close of school. He said 
that he did not want to begin his pastorate 
in Aberdeen without her. She consented and 
the day was agreed upon. 

On the Sunday before his last, as supply, 
the chairman of the pulpit committee asked 
for a business meeting of the church to elect 
a pastor. Mr. Lansdown announced that all 
might remain, if they wished, but that mem- 
bers of the church would be expected to 
remain for a short time to attend to the mat- 
ter brought to them by the pulpit committee. 
He then asked the audience to stand and he 
dismissed them. To his surprise not a per- 
son left. All sat down at the conclusion of 
the benediction. He went back into the pas- 
tor’s study and then to the hotel. 

In a few minutes Mr. Morrison and Mr. 
Carter knocked at the door of his room. 
Being admitted Mr. Morrison extended his 
hand and said, “We come as a committee to 
inform you that you were elected our pastor, 
by acclamation, before you were half way 
to this hotel. We also wish to say that the 
superintendent of our city schools, not a 
member of our church, when you had been 
elected, asked if another vote might not be 
taken giving all the privilege of expressing 
themselves. It was done and the whole audi- 
ence stood. It was agreed to offer you the 
same salary we paid our former pastor, with 


IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRE 137 


the use of the pastor’s home and, as you have 
a car, to pay for the up-keep of your car, to 
give you a month’s vacation each year and 
pay your expenses to the state and general 
meetings of our denomination each year. We 
wish you to begin as our pastor next Sunday 
week. We will excuse you from coming next 
Sunday, as we requested that you may be 
ordained then, so that you may enter upon 
your work here fully authorized, to perform 
all the duties of your office. We will send a 
telegram to your church to that effect today. 
It gives us who were the first to meet you in 
our city, a great deal of pleasure to be per- 
mitted to bring you this message from our 
church.” 

“Do all the members understand my po- 
sition regarding stewardship and the duty 
of every Christian in the world to give the 
tenth as a proportion of all his income to fill 
the whole world with the gospel?” he asked. 

“They do,” replied Judge Carter, “and I 
may say that your sermon on stewardship, 
giving our people such a great vision of a 
Christian world, and showing the absolute 
necessity of financing the spread of the gos- 
pel as heroically as a nation finances a war, 
if the world is ever to be won for Christ, 
was more favorably commented upon than 
any of the sermons you have preached. You 
may be assured that we will follow you as 
you place before us a large program to ad- 
vance the Redeemer’s Kingdom.” 

“Then, I will announce my acceptance of 
the pastorate this evening. I undertake the 
work realizing my inexperience, but I pray 
God that he will help me do my duty, day by 
day, as He shall lead me.” 


138 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


They invited him to take lunch with them 
and he accepted. 

In the afternoon he spoke at the Y. M. C. 
A. on “The Power of a Clean Life/' taking 
the position that only the grace of God can 
cleanse the heart and only a clean heart can 
produce a clean life. His arraignment of 
salvation by culture, instead of by the blood 
of Christ, was terrific; his description of a 
disappointed soul, standing at the judgment 
bar of God, after depending upon culture 
and ignoring the blood of Christ, was tragic ; 
and his appeal for repentance and surrender 
to the Savior was tender and masterly in 
its persuasive power. 

It was announced at the conclusion of the 
meeting that he would soon become a citizen 
of Aberdeen and every one there felt that 
a genuine man was coming among them. 

Mr. Elsworth received the telegram in the 
afternoon requesting Mr. Landsdown’s ordi- 
nation and arrangements were made to com- 
ply with the request. 

Tuesday morning Miss Morrison and 
a few others received invitations from Mr. 
and Mrs. Daniel McGregor to the marriage 
of their daughter, Lucile, to the Rev. Mr. 
Stewart Lansdown on Thursday evening. 
May the twenty-eighth. The news spread 
rapidly through the membership that the new 
pastor would bring his bride with him. The 
trustees met and arranged to have the pas- 
tor’s home made ready by thorough reno- 
vation and making all needed repairs. 

I will not describe the wedding, nor the 
beautiful decorations, nor the attendants 
(except to say that David Gray and Miss 
Morrison were two of them,) nor will I 


AFTER TESTING 


139 


try to describe the sacred solemnity of the 
ceremony which Mr. Ellsworth pronounced 
in words which made them husband and 
wife. There was gladness in every heart 
for all felt that they were fitted for each 
other and for the high position which they 
were to take. 


CONCLUSION. 

AFTER ONE YEAR OF TESTING. 

Almost a year had passed since the joy- 
ous event which closed the preceding chap- 
ter. Only a few days remained until the 
little group would gather again at the Mc- 
Gregor home. The different living members 
of that group were thinking of the events 
which had transpired and what experiences 
they would be able to relate. Mr. and Mrs. 
McGregor sent invitations for them to be 
present at a reunion dinner and announcing 
that, after dinner, they would compare their 
experiences, with tithing as a basis of Chris- 
tian stewardship, for one year. 

The evening came and the guests began 
to assemble. Mr. Folsom did not rally from 
the stroke of paralysis but died in a few 
days. God had spared the lives of all the 
others. 

Mrs. Sarah Ashmore had become matron 
of the Orphans Home supported by their 
denomination in the state. She was pres- 
ent, looking younger and happier than she 
did a year before. Contact with the chil- 
dren reflected itself in her face and life. 


140 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


Charley McGregor had just been elected 
one of the vice presidents of the bank and 
had returned, that day, from a trip to the 
National Bankers Association, He was to 
be married to the champion lady tennis 
player of the state the following week. 

Gilmore West was unchanged, except that 
he had been elected a deacon of the church 
and had become a greater power for right- 
eousness both in the church and in the city. 
His friends were urging him to make the 
race for congress, but he positively refused, 
saying that politics had no attractions for 
him, that he proposed to practice law until 
he reached the age to retire. Then he 
hoped to spend the rest of his life doing what 
good he could as a Christian layman. 

Jesse Gray was still pastor of rural 
churches. He came, with his wife, in a new 
car his churches had given him and they 
were among the happiest people in the 
crowd. 

John Mooreland, who had been in the 
transfer business for years, was changed 
very little. His wife had been an invalid a 
shut-in, a long time, and he had cared for 
her with such tenderness and consideration 
that, while he was not a man of culture, it 
had made of him a character held in the 
highest esteem by a^l who knew him. 

William Hardy had prospered greatly in 
his business and it was beginning to be 
talked among business men that he would be 
wealthy in a few years unless reverses came. 

Deacons Borden, Jamison and Gates were 
about the same. 

Joseph Page had greatly changed, for the 
better, in both his business and church life. 


AFTER TESTING 


141 


He had prospered financially and had be- 
come one of the strongest, most faithful sup- 
porters of the pastor in all the membership 
of the church. He frequently emphasized 
pastoral leadership and the importance of 
conserving all the forces of influence in all 
the departments of the church organization. 
He had become a most valuable member, a 
genuine leader in every forward move that 
was made. 

Dr. Horace Everett, the Foreign Mission 
Secretary, had sent a letter, regretting that 
it was not possible for him to be present, 
as he was getting ready for the National 
Convention which would meet in a few days. 

Dr. Adams was present and was delighted 
with the success of the college, which was 
closing the best year in its history. 

The church clerk, Byron M. Stanley, had 
suffered from broken health almost the 
whole year. He had gone to Colorado. A 
letter from him said that he was somewhat 
improved, but that he could not be with them. 
He wrote that he had bought a small busi- 
ness, was giving a tenth of all his profits to 
Christ’s cause and that he was more than 
paying his expenses. 

Rev. Harold Emerson was still pastor of 
the same two village churches, preaching 
sermons which charmed and instructed all 
who heard them, but not developing the 
churches into organizations with power or 
effectiveness for any real Kingdom service. 

David Gray had risen rapidly as a young 
lawyer. He had been for months associated 
with Judge Carter, of Aberdeen, who had 
placed a great deal of business in his hands. 
He had built a new home and its queen. Miss 


142 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


Esther Morrison, had been in charge only 
three weeks. She said she liked Plattsville 
“wonderfuly well.” 

After dinner they asked Mr. Ellsworth to 
preside, which he did informally. He told 
of the introduction of tithing into their 
church ; how he had preached often on stew- 
ardship, bought tracts and books on the 
subject, got the women’s organizations to 
studying it, got the young people interested, 
and gradually showed the membership the 
duty and joy of taking Jesus Christ as their 
partner in all business affairs. He said that 
while they were all acquainted with what 
had been done he wished to say it had not 
been easy, at all, but had been accomplished 
by persistent, patient work and earnest 
prayer for divine leadership each day. He 
thanked the deacons for their co-operation, 
especially as teachers of the rest of the 
members, for the fact that they had been 
examples, to whom he could point contin- 
ually in his enlistment efforts. He asked 
the treasurer to say what success they had 
attained and if it had been a good year for 
the church. 

The treasurer, Mr. Page, said, “A little 
over one year ago we were nearly four 
months behind with our pastor’s salary, two 
months behind with our janitor and owed 
bills all around town. Now we do not owe 
anybody a cent. We have given twice as 
much to missions, and three times as much 
to education as we did last year. Then only 
thirty per cent of our members contributed, 
even occasionally; now, eighty-six per cent 
contribute regularly. Then we had no bus- 
iness methods about anything ; now our 


AFTER TESTING 


143 


church business is just as well organized as 
that of any bank in this city. Then the bus- 
iness men among our membership were care- 
less, now almost all of them take a real, ac- 
tive interest in the church’s work. I would 
not personally give up tithing, at all, and 
I would not have our church go back to the 
old haphazard way for any consideration. 

“I wish to say, too,” said Mrs. Ashmore, 
"that the movement started by the women of 
this church to build the Bethlehem Nursery 
for babies at the Orphans Home, has result- 
ed in putting up a beautiful brick and con- 
crete bungalow in which we now have twen- 
ty-seven little tots. It was the direct result 
of tithing.” 

"Yes, I know that is true,” said Dr. Adams, 
"and I know too, that the beautiful FOLSOM 
MEMORIAL HALL, which is now being 
completed at the college, is also the result of 
tithing. Our young friend David Gray gave 
the first two hundred dollars, the tenth of a 
fee paid him. Then others in this church 
and in other churches, especially the First 
Church at Aberdeen, have kept on helping 
until we now have the building. It has 
created enthusiasm for the college which 
means a new day for the institution and 
Christian education in this state.” 

Mr. Lansdown said that when he became 
pastor at Aberdeen, being without experi- 
ence as a leader in church work, he adopted 
the plans outlined in their meeting a year 
ago and followed them with patience arid 
persistence and that the results had been be- 
yond his expectations. The church was now 
supporting two missionaries on the foreign 
field, an evangelist in the home land, was 


144 


THE DEACON’S DAUGHTER 


, helping two young women in college, and a 
young preacher in the seminary; besides a 
great deal that had been done in other ways. 
He thought that he, perhaps, had gotten bet- 
ter results because he began his pastorate 
with the church committed in sentiment to 
his views on stewardship. He said that 
every deacon gave proportionately and that 
it was well understood when a member 
joined the church he, or she, was expected to 
be a proportionate giver. He said, further- 
more than he had been helped by the insist- 
ence of his wife, whose position was well 
known to them. 

Mr. Ellsworth interrupted to say, “Yes, we 
heard it over and over again during the even- 
ings of our study together, when she in- 
sisted that Christians should give not accord- 
ing to their wills but according to God’s will; 
that they should not follow their own feel- 
ings or opinions hut obey what God says. 

THE END. 








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